Acceptions and Exceptions
by Nctrnlkttn
Summary: When Remus Lupin is accepted into Hogwarts, his family can hardly believe it. From the moment he enters those doors, more and more impossible things seem to happen to him, both good and bad. He finds friends, enemies, even love, all while battling inner demons of his own and those he cares for. Secrets are revealed and lives altered. Was letting him in the right choice? RL/SBslash!
1. He's Accepted!

"Lyall!" Her scream rang through the already trembling house. "Lyall!" she called again, her arms tightening around the terrified boy in her arms. Remus Lupin quaked in her arms as a terrifying bang resounded in the room to their right. Someone desperately wanted in, someone magical. Another bang and the walls shook, causing Remus to yip and cower, hiding further into his mother's arms.

"Hope! Hope, get downstairs, both of you!" Lyall Lupin called to his wife. His wand was out and pointed at the front door but his eyes were on his wife and son. "Go down to the basement! It's already prepped for tomorrow night, no one will know you're there."

"But Lyall-" Another crashing bang cut her off.

"Go!"

Hope nodded, scooping up the soon-to-be 11 year old boy in her arms. Remus turned to watch his father, howling when there was a bang that rocked the house.

"Oh honey, Remus, please no, don't do that, no howling my love," Hope babbled above him, fear for her son causing her words to come tumbling out without order. They had reached the basement door but, when Hope tugged, nothing happened. Her face went white. "Lyall! The spells!" She turned back to the living room just in time to watch the door fly off its hinges and smack right into her husband. "Lyall!"

Remus fell to the floor, arms around his head and knees curled to his chest, his eyes shut tight. This was it, he was certain, someone had found out about him and was here to kill him. But why his house, his family? They had so little and had never done anything wrong. They couldn't have just kidnapped him and done him in quietly? The noise had stopped. All Remus could hear was the blood rushing in his ears, fueled by his rapidly pounding heart. When it had been too quiet for too long, Remus gathered all his courage and looked up to face the intruder.

A somewhat plump man, with a long gray beard and even longer gray hair, stood in the doorway. His blue eyes twinkled over half-moon glasses, taking in the damage and the faces of those in the house. A light smile played upon his face, and grew to a full one when his eyes fell upon Remus.

He blinked in confusion. This wizard version of Santa Claus was not what Remus had expected at all. When the man smiled at him, he knew he should have felt fear or even apprehension, but instead a warm sense of comfort began to flow through his body. He untangled his limbs but did not stand. Surprise and curiosity had made him brave. "Who are you?" he squeaked out, his young age clear in his high voice.

Before the man could answer, however, his father's voice roared to life. "Professor Dumbledore!" Remus flicked his eyes to his father. The man was on the floor, bleeding, and his arm was at a rather unnatural angle, but the smile on his face was so wide and bright, Remus had to wonder if his father even noticed his own injuries. "Professor, sir, what are you doing here?"

"Good evening, Lyall." Remus jumped again. The man – Dumbledore – had such a kind voice. So soft spoken and warm, tinkling like music. This was the man that had nearly bought his house down? "I'm sorry for the rude means of my entrance, but you seem to have this place spectacularly guarded. Understandably," his eyes quirked to Remus before landing back on Lyall, "of course."

Remus felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over his head. He knew? This Dumbledore person knew about him? He began to shake and curled into himself again, cursing the nearness of the full moon when he heard an involuntary whimper rise out of his throat.

Dumbledore turned his eyes back to Remus. "Not to worry, lad. I'm not here to harm you. I myself believe the prejudice against werewolves to be highly antiquated, much like the prejudices against giants." He gave a laugh at that, having made a joke only he seemed to understand. Remus glanced to his father, whom he found standing and healed, silently asking for advice on what to do now. Lyall held out his hand. Remus took the hint and stood, shakily, before walking across the house to sit down next to his father. He began to look around wildly, realizing he was missing a person.

"I'm right here, Remus love." Remus spun so fast his neck cracked, spotting his mother hiding in a corner. No, not hiding, _trapped_. A large hunk of what looked like the coffee table was resting in front of her. She seemed unharmed but there was clearly no way to get out. A low, rumbling growl started in him. Dumbledore seemed kind, but no one was allowed to trap his mother. He turned back, his eyes holding promises of pain and torment, and he locked them on the bespectacled man in the doorway. The growl escaped him then, causing his lips to furl back from his teeth in a distinctly canine way.

"Remus!" He felt a light cuff on his head and spun, still growling, to face his father. "That is enough, Remus John. Professor Dumbledore meant no harm to any of us. He healed me, and he will get your mother out." Remus growled again, yet this one lacked the dangerous tone. "Stop. Now." His father's voice was firm, his jaw set. Remus gave a final growl for good measure before turning back to Dumbledore. He settled on glaring at the man, an action that was neither human nor animal as every living thing seemed to do it. He swore he had even seen a magic carpet glare once. A Persian wizard had been in town a few years back and a toddler Remus had yanked on a brightly colourful loose thread. It must have been akin to pulling the tail of a dog, because the carpet had jerked and spun in midair to find the culprit.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes bright. "Ah, Lyall, you know how it is. Kids will be kids. And pups will be pups. You're in the unique position of having a kid who is also a pup, and I have been a most unruly guest. Destroying his home, harming his father, trapping his mother. If a little growling is all I get, I count myself rather lucky." He stepped forward and placed a hand lightly on Remus' head, petting it. In spite of himself, Remus loved the sensation, and immediately calmed down. He even nipped playfully at Dumbledore's hand, much to the embarrassment of the entire Lupin family. Dumbledore mearly chuckled again and, with a wave of his wand, levitated the chunk of table out of Hope's way. She scrambled out, rushing to her family's side, before Dumbledore set it gently down again. "Hello again, Hope. I'm sorry for the destruction I seem to have caused. Let me just..." He gave a very complicated wave with his wand and Remus felt a strong surge of magic rush over him before turning around to find the house put together again. "There we are, no harm done. Now then," Dumbledore bent his knees and sat on the floor next to the Lupins with an astounding level of grace, "I'm sure you have questions."

"Yes, Professor, we do. Why are you here?" Lyall had never been very tactful.

"I would have thought the answer to be obvious. Remus turns 11 in barely a month, but it seems all the protective spells you have placed on your house have been keeping my owls away. I was afraid that if another of those lovely creatures returned with singed feathers, I may very well be pecked out of the castle. I decided it would be wise, therefore, to pay you a visit myself."

The stunned silence that met this answer was almost comical. No one made a sound, no one even seemed to breath. Remus didn't understand why his mother and father were having such a strong reaction. Then again, he also didn't know what castle the man was talking about. After a few more tense seconds, when it seemed no one was going to speak, Remus took matters into his own hands.

"What castle?"

Dumbledore turned to Remus and smiled brightly, as if he had been hoping this whole time to explain everything directly to Remus himself. "Why, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is housed in a castle."

Remus nodded. He knew the name, his father had gone there. "Oh. Ok. Why were you sending owls to my father?"

"Not to your father, my dear boy. To you."

Remus cocked his head to the side. "Me? Why me?"

Dumbledore chuckled again, his eyes warm. "To inform you, Mister Remus John Lupin, that you have been accepted into Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What?!" It had been Lyall who responded to that. "He's in?! But... but... how?!"

"Well, Lyall, he is a wizard after all."

"But Professor," Hope started to say, gripping Lyall's hand, "what about-"

"Taken care of. I've had a rare plant known as a Whomping Willow planted on the grounds. It will house a tunnel to an isolated area, away from the school and the village, where Remus will be able to transform in peace. Our new Healer, luckily, holds no prejudices against werewolves and has agreed to take care of him after each full moon for the duration of his education."

Hope and Lyall were stunned silent again. Remus looked between their pale, disbelieving faces and Dumbledore's smiling, patient one. His thoughts were reeling. _I get to go to school? With other kids?! I don't know how to do that!_

"He's never interacted with other children before," Lyall said, inadvertently giving voice to his son's thoughts. "We kept him isolated, home schooled him, for everyone's safety. He won't be able to go from such a solitary life to the busy world of Hogwarts. It's hard for any 11 year old boy, never mind one who's never even had a friend before."

"It would be difficult," Dumbledore conceded with a small nod of his head, "but I do believe it to be for the best. Perhaps it will ease your worries, Lyall, if I told you he would be started the same year as a new Potter would be. You know what they're like. You were only a few years below the last one."

Lyall made a humming noise, as if considering it. "That would help. They all end up in Gryffindor though, and there's no way to guarantee what house Remus would be sorted into."

"After the way he growled at me, I would be greatly surprised if he wasn't placed in Gryffindor. Besides, the Gryffindors get along well with all the houses."

"Except Slytherin." The way his father's voice turned cold gave Remus pause. He looked up to find a frighteningly hard look in Lyall's eyes. _If I go, I will not be a Slytherin_, Remus silently vowed.

"Ah, you'd be surprised. Even with old rivalry, the bonds of friendship can still survive. What do you say, Lyall? Hope? It is Remus' choice if he attends or not, but it will be much easier for everyone if you allow him to."

"Remus?" The young boy turned, facing his mother. "Remus, honey, this will be very hard if you decide to do it. We won't be there every month when you transform."

"And you would be expected to keep your marks up and stay out of trouble," his father added, voice stern yet caring. "We understand the full moon will make things harder, but we will not allow it to be used as an excuse."

"And there will be people around. Lots of people. You know the dangers that come with the moon and crowds."

Remus nodded, allowing all the information to soak in. He weighed and considered everything, all the bads and the goods, before turning to Dumbledore with a smile so large that it barely fit his little face.

"Is there a library?"


	2. On The Train

"You know what we expect of you."

"Yes, Mother."

"You know what is at stake."

"Yes, Father."

"Do not disappoint us."

"I know, Mother."

"Or you will be punished."

"I understand, Father."

"Now get out of my sight."

"Good bye, Mother," Sirius leaned in to give his mother a quick kiss on the cheek, "good bye, Father." He shook his father's hand. Orion and Walburga Black stared down at their elder son, no traces of warmth in their eyes or sadness that he was leaving today until Christmas. Not that Sirius had expected any.

"Come, Orion, I hate this platform. So much chaos, so many mudbloods and bloodtraitors. It sickens me to be around them too long."

"I agree, Walburga. Regulus, bid your brother farewell, and come out to meet us quickly." Orion held his arm out, which his wife gripped with one talon-nailed, pale hand. They turned and walked away, the crowd parting before them. Everyone, even those who Sirius could see were new to the wizarding world, knew better than to stand in their way. Orion and Walburga Black exuded power, contempt and the sense of being better than everyone else. They were revered, respected, feared and obeyed. No one dared question them to their face and hardly whispered even the slightest words of disagreement behind their backs. The wizarding world was in the palms of their conjoined hands, and they showed no hesitance in revealing just how quickly they could crush that world if they so pleased.

Sirius hated them.

"Siri, please, be good." Sirius turned to see large, gray eyes staring out at him from his slightly-shorter brother, Regulus. "I don't want to see you get into any more trouble. Mother's already furious about your hair." Sirius unconsciously reached a hand up to smooth his hair, which he hadn't allow to be cut ever since he got his Hogwarts letter nearly a year ago on that cold October morning. He cursed and raged at having such a late birthday, complaining that he would be the oldest of his year, nearly 12 while everyone else had just turned 11. His father had told him that he was lucky to be older, he would be wiser and stronger and thus hold more power. Sirius had demanded then and there that if he was to be the elder of his year, he was going to look the part by means of having long hair. His argument had been that boys had to obey their parents about their looks while men got to do as they pleased. His snark had gotten him thrown into the dungeon for three days as punishment, but his parents had grudgingly let him have his way. It had grown now to past his shoulders, and every day the disgust in his mother's eyes grew deeper.

"I know, Reggie. Don't worry. I'm going to be a good little Slytherin, just as Mother and Father want. I will play the games and rub elbows with all the right people. I'll even look for a perfectly pure-blooded girlfriend. Never too soon to start planning your future, eh?" Sirius had spat out the last few words with such venom that his tongue should have been burned off. Regulus recognized them for the mocking they were, rooted in a speech their father frequently gave them about how childhood was a time to form important bonds with important people as opposed to silly friends who did nothing to further their family. "I'll set the path for you, you'll be joining me next year after all, your birthday is early in the year." Sirius offered up a genuine smile. "We'll take that castle by storm." Regulus offered up a weak smile. The train whistle blew, shrill and loud, making both boys jump. "Go on, go to Mother and Father, I need to board."

Regulus nodded and, with a quick glance behind him, ran forward and embraced his brother. Sirius responded instantly, wrapping his arms tight around the younger boy. "I love you, Siri, please behave." Sirius only squeezed his brother tighter in response.

"Go look in my room when you get home, I've left you a surprise." Regulus opened his mouth to ask what, but the train whistle blew again, and instead he bit his lip and nodded. "Now go!" Sirius ruffled the little boy's hair affectionately before turning and running to the nearest doorway, where the family house elf, Kreacher, stood with Sirius' trunk and other possessions. Picking up a tattered shoulder bag that held a few of Sirius' more privet items, he looked down at the elf. "Follow me," Sirius demanded, boarding the train, his floating luggage behind him and the elf bringing up the rear. He found an empty compartment close to the middle of the train and beckoned Kreacher in, where the elf dutifully fit all of Sirius' belongings into the overhead holders before disappearing from sight. Sirius flopped into a chair, letting his perfect posture melt away until his shoulders sagged, and he threw his feet up so the heels of his boots rested on the seat opposite him. He watched through the window as family said their goodbyes, children raced back and forth between friends and luggage slowly made its way onto the train. He only saw a few other house elves, and entertained himself with naming the other pure-blood families that would have children in Hogwarts at the same time as him. One elf in particular caught his eye. She was a small thing, even for a house elf. Her ears were rounded like a bear and her eyes were large and milky white. Sirius shuddered, her eyes bothering him. He knew this elf, but he couldn't place where from. She must belong to a pure-blood family, one who perhaps he had visited as a child. But who?

A knock at the door caused Sirius to jump out of his chair, his feet landing on the floor as he spun around, wand out, crouching in self defense. He came face to face with a boy his age with his hands raised in surrender. Black hair stuck up at all ends and hazel eyes held fearful recognition. Sirius suddenly realized who the elf belonged to.

"James Potter."

Sirius rose out of his defensive stance, pocketing his wand, but did not sit down. He regarded the other boy with a deep-seeded disgust, planted by his mother and father years ago.

"Didn't know you were in here, Black." James spat out the boy's name as if it was a curse, his eyes holding equal amounts of disgust and fear.

"Well now you do, so bugger off, _Potter_." Sirius sat back down, his back rigid and shoulders set in an aristocratic stance. He stared at James, waiting for the other boy's reaction. James glared and turned, leaving Sirius alone once again. Only once Sirius heard a door a little way down open and the occupants wave James in did he let his shoulder's fall. A Potter, wonderful, exactly what he needed. It wasn't enough pressure to make the right friends, now Sirius knew he would be expected to also make the right enemies. He sighed deeply, running a hand over his face as he went back to staring out the window. The train gave a whistle and lurched forward, starting its long journey to the Scotland hillsides and Hogwarts castle. He spotted Mr. and Mrs. Potter, waving frantically, and gave a wry chuckle.

It was going to be a long seven years.

* * *

Remus ran up and down the train, looking for an empty compartment. They had been moving for nearly ten minutes and he was one of few students who still hadn't found a place to sit. Every place he passed was full, save for one compartment that had a single, black haired boy in it. But the boy had looked very angry, his shoulders hunched and his arms crossed as he stared broodingly out the window. Remus decided he'd be better off leaving that compartment alone than trying to deal with its occupant. His feet were getting tired and his arm was beginning to shake. It was not even a week after the full moon, and though his strength had returned, the large gash on the top of his arm had not yet healed. Moony was apparently very angry about Remus getting a wand, as it had been his wand arm that the wolf tried to tear off. Finally, he found a compartment that, while not empty, was also not full. Two students sat inside it, a girl with vivid red hair that looked to be about Remus' age, and a boy with long, greased up black hair who may have been a bit older. The boy looked a bit surly, but the girl appeared very friendly. Remus steeled his strength and knocked on the door, opening it.

"Hi, er, sorry, everywhere else seems to be full." His voice sounded meek and tired, and he felt himself blush at the sound. The girl cocked her head in a similar way Remus did when the moon was close, and he felt his heart leap. Could she be a werewolf as well? No, impossible, he could never be so lucky. She probably just owned a dog or something. Her eyes were as vivid as her hair, only green instead of red. They regarded him with compassion and kindness, something Remus was not expecting. The boy looked at him as well, his eyes revealing nothing. It was as if he had an eternal mask in place and it made Remus shiver slightly.

"That's not a problem, please, come sit with us." The girl's voice was as warm and friendly as her eyes, and she picked up her bright blue school bag to offer Remus the seat next to her. "I'm Lily, and that's Severus," the boy nodded towards Remus, still expressionless. "We're first years."

"Me too! My name's Remus." He lifted his trunk and settled in into the overhead cages with ease before sitting carefully next to Lily.

"Aren't you so excited? Do you know a lot about the magical world? I'm muggle born, so I don't know much, but Severus has been teaching me. We've been friends since we were babies, but I never knew he was half-wizard until we both got Hogwarts letters on the same day! The little liar, although I guess I understand, my sister was rather shocked by the news. Mom and Dad were really excited though, even if we were all clueless on what to do. Thank god for Severus' mom, she explained everything to us." She had said all this in a rush, not even stopping to breathe, and Remus stared at her in amused disbelief.

"She babbles when she's excited," Severus told him. The boy's voice was a bit colder and oily, but not unkind. More wary than anything else.

"I do not!" Lily huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at Severus.

"Yes, Lily, you do."

"Do not!"

"Do too."

"Take it back, Sev!"

"Mother taught me not to lie, Lily."

"Git!"

Remus burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he doubled over. Lily and Severus stared at him in amazement for a second before they began laughing as well, the noise growing so loud that when the trolly came around, the woman had to launch a pumpkin pasty at the little trio to get their attention. The resulting explosion only caused them to laugh harder as they breathlessly purchased some treats before she moved on.

Remus smiled, biting into the head of a chocolate frog as the three of them shared stories from their childhood and discussed what House they hoped to be in. He could feel himself relaxing, sharing smiles with the other two and engaging in good-natured taunting of one another. As the train came closer and closer to Hogwarts, surrounded by laughter and empty wrappers, Severus and Remus jokingly comparing Lily to Christmas ornaments, Remus couldn't help the bubble of warmth and hope that grew in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, the next seven years would be good after all.


	3. Boat Ride Fury

What felt like days later, although he knew it had only been hours, James felt the train come to a shuddering stop. He looked out the window eagerly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the magnificent castle he had heard so many stories about. Frustratingly, all he could see was darkness.

"You're going to go out and find the grounds keeper, Hagrid. He'll direct you from there." James turned back to the boy, named Frank Longbottom, who was currently speaking. "You will, too," Frank continued, turning his gaze onto the other first year in the compartment. Peter Pettigrew nodded, his round face jiggling.

"What about you two?" James asked.

"Oh, after first year, you go up to the castle a different way. Frank told me you fly on dragons, but I don't believe him." The girl, Alice, answered him kindly. James wondered, not for the first time that night, if Frank and Alice were a couple. She was a second year and he was a third, both Gryffindors, so it wasn't hard to imagine. They had both vehemently denied it, but James wouldn't be surprised if that fact changed in a few years' time. "We should get going. Oh, leave your trunk," Peter paused, his arms raised above his head, "they'll be in your rooms by the time the feast is over. Come along, tinies."

"We are not tinies!" James protested, his voice squeaking as he said it. This only caused Frank and Alice to laugh at him as they carefully joined the throngs of students slowly making their way off the train. A few heads in front of him, James recognized the long locks of Sirius Black. A delicious prank involving the legendary Hogwarts custard and Black's hair began to form in James' mind as he stepped carefully off the train.

"M-mind if I stay with you?" came Peter's small voice. James turned his head to look back at the shaking boy. "I-I-I-I just d-don't know an-n-nyone else and-and-and-" he stuttered, terrified. James took pity on the poor boy and nodded.

"Sure, Peter, we can stick together." Peter's eyes lit up and he jogged up to stay side by side with James. James noted, with amusement, that once Peter got a little validation, he walked much taller, his eyes glinting with intelligence instead of worry. Perhaps James had been too quick to dismiss him on the train.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!" A booming voice rang out over the din of chatter, and James and Peter turned to see a massive man standing next to the lake. A fleet of boats ghosted eerily over the surface of the water, and James suddenly felt very sick. He hated sailing.

"James? You alright there, lad?" Peter looked at James, taking in his pale face and wide eyes.

James shook his head, snapping himself out of it. "Fine, Pete old boy, only I never knew Dumbledore had a giant in his employment."

"There's a lot of things you don't know, Potter," came a biting voice from behind them. James spun, coming face to face with the arrogant smile and rigid stance of Sirius Black.

"Oh piss off, Black, you can't just leave me alone?"

James watched as a hint of emotion crossed behind Black's eyes. He almost looked regretful, as if he didn't want to be so cruel but was being forced to by some unseen powers. The flicker was gone as quickly as it came, but James knew he hadn't imagined it. "You're right, Potter, you're not worth my energy." Black's voice was cool as always, but the edge had been missing. He turned and stalked off, leaving James to contemplate what he had just seen.

"Firs' years, gather 'round now. You're gonna get to the castle by these here boats, see? So climb aboard! Six to a boat, all, and only six! Don't need you t' go topplin' over, you'll be eating your turkey soaking wet, and that there sure puts a damper on even Hogwarts food." Hagrid chuckled as he climbed into a boat just for him. Each boat had a lantern at the front and three rows of seats, big enough for two people each. James and Peter turned and climbed into the nearest boat, along with two other boys, one who looked small and sickly and one with a too big nose and dirty looking hair.

"Lily! Here!" The boy with the nose waved a hand above his head, beckoning to another student. James turned, eager to see what sort of women were to be in his year, and felt his breath hitch in his throat. A thin, soft skinned girl with sparking green eyes and hair so red it looked fake emerged from the dark crowd. The long, black, student's robe flowed elegantly behind her. She caught sight of the boy waving to her and smiled, white teeth illuminating her whole face. James' heart beat double time as she drew closer and closer and, finally, stepped into the boat with them.

"Thanks, Sev, I lost you guys for a second there." She turned to the sickly looking boy. "Thanks, Remus." Her eyes found James, who was still staring, and she cleared her throat pointedly. "Excuse me, but could you kindly stop drooling? You're going to wet the floor." James snapped out of his daze and shut his mouth, unaware he had even opened it. Nose boy, Sev she had called him, began to chuckle. The other boy, Remus was it?, simply regarded him indifferently.

"My most lovely Lily, it's not the floor I wish to get wet with this mouth." James winked at the girl, surprising himself with his rashness. He wasn't even entirely sure what he had just implied, but he knew it sounded dirty and sexy and Merlin, did he want to impress her. In truth, the entire boat reacted to his statement, but no one was impressed. Sev chuckled, Peter gasped, Remus blushed and Lily looked furious.

"Disgusting. What's your name, you vile pig?"

"James Potter." Vile pig? Really? That seemed a bit harsh. Remus looked at James as if he was insane.

"Why on earth would you answer her?" Peter whispered from behind him. James scrunched up his eyebrows, wondering the same thing. Why _had _he answered her?

"Well then, _James Potter_, I hope for your sake that we're not placed in the same House. So help me, if I must spend seven years with you, I shall gouge my eyes out with a spoon."

"But they're so lovely!"

"James, I suggest you stop before she takes your head off." James glanced over Lily's left shoulder, his eyes meeting shiny amber as Remus gave him a hard look. James huffed and crossed his arms but said nothing.

"Oy, you there! Get in a boat! We need ter get a move on! Who's not got six in their boat, eh?" Lily raised her hand. "Go, sit, we're gonna be late as it is!"

James could hear pounding boots walking towards their boat. He turned to identify their occupant and groaned loudly. Of all the luck. Sirius Black.

"Oh don't sound so thrilled, Potter, people might get the wrong idea about you." Sirius clambered into the boat, which began moving as soon as he had sat down.

"Great Merlin, Black, you seem to be the one who can't stay away from me," James shot back, anger and frustration evident. Lily and Remus looked between the two boys, Lily with disgust and Remus with apprehension. Peter seemed to cower behind his hands. Nose-boy just looked bored.

"Perhaps you slipped me a love potion on the train then, everyone knows you Potter's are so _desperate_ for love, you'll do anything! Including getting bent!"

There was a wild roar from James, who flung himself from beside Peter and onto Sirius, grabbing him by the shoulders with such force that the two toppled over into the freezing water below them. Peter gave a shriek as the boats came to a jarring halt.

"Now w'as goin' on down – Merlin's beard!" Hagrid yelled as he caught sight of the two boys, half-wrestling and half-swimming on the surface of the lake. "What type-a nonsense is this! Both of you, stop, now!" When neither James nor Sirius appeared to hear him, Hagrid only yelled louder. "STOP IT THE TWO O' YE BEFORE I PLANT YE BACK ON THE TRAIN BEFORE Y'ER EVEN SOARTED!" His great, booming voice echoed in the night as the boys finally halted in their watery battle. "Back in yer boat! Now!" James and Sirius hurriedly complied, climbing back in with help from Peter and Remus respectively. "Detention, the lot of ya!"

"But sir!" Lily squealed, the boats moving again, "it was only them! The rest of us didn't do anything!"

"Yeh should 'ave stopped 'em!"

Lily sniffled but remained silent, casting death glares at James and Sirius. Both boys shivered under her glare. Nose-boy put a comforting arm around her shoulders and Remus cast a quick drying spell that only partially worked. "I don't need my books getting wet," he said when Lily gave him an incredulous look. "We already have detention."

The rest of the ride was spent in tense silence, James and Sirius pointedly ignoring each other.


	4. The Sorting

All anger during the ride over was blown from their minds as they got their first magnificent view of Hogwarts. High spires and monstrous stone walls pierced the sky, tall and proud. Long, wide windows were flickering from internal light that seemed to give the cold stones a warm, glowing look. Remus felt his jaw flop open. He had never seen such a grand building in his life. _This is my school?_ As he cast his eyes around the rest of the students, they all seemed to be having similar thoughts. Even James and Sirius has stopped sulking long enough to stare, impressed and intimidated, at the huge castle. The waxing moon was framed between two tall towers, and even Remus had to admit it created a stunning image.

If they were impressed by the outside, the inside was downright awe-inspiring. Vaulting walls covered with moving portraits stretched higher than they could see. A floor of elegant tile with gold and silver chasing designs clacked under the shoes of nearly 100 new students. The windows were either open or had beautiful stained glass images of creatures like dragons and unicorns and others that Remus couldn't identify. It was all so beautiful, so much to take in, he wondered if seven years would be even close to enough time to appreciate all the beauty on the grounds. He also sensed, under the beauty and glitter, the darkness. Secrets and whispers, stories the walls wished to tell but had no mouths with which to speak. The building was power and strength under all that glamour. Remus understood this perfectly and treated the walls with respect. They came upon a huge set of double doors that stretched nearly twenty feet high. On the other side, he could hear the chatter of hundreds of hungry students and teachers, sounding eager and excited.

"Attention, first years." The group turned as one to see a thin, tall woman was standing beside them. Her face was showing signs of age, wrinkling lightly around the mouth and eyes. Her thick, dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun and was graying at the temples. Elegant robes of crushed red velvet sat upon her shoulders and rested perfectly on top of the floor, looking extremely at odds with the tattered and worn brown hat that sat on her head. Her hands clutched a scroll. "My name is Professor McGonagall. In a few short moments, I will be leading you into the Great Hall, the room behind those doors. There, you will be sorted. Once you know your house, you will move quickly and quietly to sit at the table where you will wait with the other students for the feast to begin." Her eyes were hard and her voice left no room for argument. Remus got the impression that this was not a woman you crossed, but he was oddly not afraid of her. Perhaps there was a kindness under the scholarly mask that Moony was picking up on, thus allowing Remus a more complete picture of the Professor. The woman crossed to the doors, knocked twice, and paused, as if waiting for a response. "Yes, wonderful, they're ready for us. You will follow me in an orderly fashion and stand as a group, coming forward only as I call your names. Do you understand?" Every head nodded. "Good."

If Remus hadn't been so nervous, he would have gasped at the look of the Great Hall. Four long tables covered in gleaming golden platters stood in front of him, each running the length of the room. At the opposite end of the Hall, atop an elevated alter, one long table that stretched the width of the Hall held the Professors. At the center of that table, which aligned perfectly with the center of the room, the center which all the first years were now walking up, stood an ornate throne. However, it wasn't the beautiful chair that held Remus' eye, but the occupant. None other than Professor Dumbledore sat there, watching with glee as the new students walked in and up the length of the room, stopping just before the alter. Remus felt an iron fist in his stomach as he realized that Dumbledore was the Headmaster. _I growled at the bloody Headmaster?!_ He felt sick with understanding and swayed slightly on the spot.

"Remus?" A comforting hand was placed on his back and he turned to see Lily, her presence forgotten, watching him with concern. "I know, I'm nervous too, but don't worry. I'm sure the sorting is easy." She smiled at him, her nerves making her twitch. Remus smiled back and nodded, taking a steadying breath and watching as McGonagall stepped onto the altar. She plucked the hat from her head and set it down onto a stool next to her. Remus cocked an eyebrow, baffled by this action. The hat seemed to slump and rip open. Remus thought for sure that the old thing had just given in, until the hat, miraculously, started to sing!

Hello there, dear first years and other years!

I bid you a greeting, kind staff!

If I had eyes to see all of you

I'm so very sure I would laugh!

How odd it must be, I declare

To be human instead of a hat

But my presence here is for business

So let's all get right down to that!

Good evening, children, do let me explain

What it is I shall do for you all

You see, I'm a mind reader, a most clever hat

Who has been given a call.

I've been set with a duty, a tasking, a job

That no one but me could do right

This tasking, this duty, this job I must do

Is sort all of you first years tonight!

I may place you in Ravenclaw, smart and hard working

Where library bugs will find friends.

Or perhaps into Slytherin is where you shall go

If you fight to win at all ends.

There is always Gryffindor, the bold and the brave

Where the lions and warriors meet

Or maybe in Hufflepuff, the house of great kindness

Last named but never the least

Each House has its blessings, it's bringings, its curses

None is the worst or the best

It's all got to do with what's in your heart

To decide where you shall rest

So come, pick me up, don me on your head

I have no mouth with which I can bite

Though if you've not washed your hair for a time

I'll ask the ghosts to give you a fright!

The hat fell silent to thunderous applause and thick laughter. Even the first years had momentarily forgotten their worries in the face of singing headgear. Professor McGonagall was wearing a smile that showed the kindness inside of her, gazing down on the first years as she unrolled the scroll in her hands.

"Attention, please!" The Hall fell silent. Kind look or not, she was still a strict woman. "When I call your name, step up and place the hat on your head. Once it calls out a House, just follow the loudest cheers. Or look at the ceiling." Remus looked up to see, bafflingly, the night sky. It took him a moment to realize the ceiling must be charmed to reflect the weather outside. After his awe-struck moment passed, he spotted banners hanging over each table, proclaiming the House it was above. Slytherin, green and silver with a twisting serpent, was all the way to the right. Then Ravenclaw, bronze and blue with a majestic eagle. Next, Hufflepuff, yellow and black with a friendly, curious looking badger. Finally, to the far left, Gryffindor, gold and red with a proud lion.

"Snape, Severus!" Remus wondered mildly how the list was organized if Severus was the first name to be called. He watched the boy climb the few steps up the altar and approach the stool where the hat rested. He picked it up before sitting down, facing the hall, and dropped it onto his head. It was so large that it fell down to nearly his mouth. There were a few seconds of tense silence, and then...

"SLYTHERIN!"

The table to the right let out a mighty cheer. The first student of the new year belonged to them. Severus lifted the hat up, looking shocked but happy enough, and stepped proudly away to join the table. Remus swallowed, waiting for the next name to be called.

"Pettigrew, Peter!"

The boy who had been in the boat with James Potter appeared, visibly trembling as he jerked his way up the stairs to the alter. Following Severus' lead, he picked up the hat, sat down and placed it onto his head. The silence stretched a little longer this time, and Remus found himself trying to guess what House the boy may be put into. _Hufflepuff seems to fit him best_, he thought, waiting for the hat's decision. Finally, the brim slit open.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus saw more than a few stunned faces in the crowd as shaking, scared, squeaking Peter Pettigrew pulled the hat off and stumbled to the far left, looking confused as to how he had ended up there. He sat down next to a pretty girl who looked a little older who turned and gave Peter a hug. Remus watched the boy smile and settle in, looking a bit more comfortable.

Name after name was called. Remus didn't remember any of them. It look nearly 40 students until the hat finally placed someone in Hufflepuff, but then six students in a row went to the friendly House. He only tuned in, paying close attention, when someone he recognized was called, like "Evans, Lily!"

Lily turned to Remus, flashing a quick smile and squeezing his hand before walking through the considerably thinner group of first years and up to the hat. She had barely placed it on her head before it shouted out "GRYFFINDOR!" She beamed and ran over. Remus cast a glance over at the Slytherin table to find Severus looking extremely put out. He bit his lip. He liked both him and Lily, but they had been placed in the most opposite Houses. What did that mean for their friendship? What did it mean for _him_?

"Potter, James!" Remus watched as James swaggered up the alter and grabbed the hat. He didn't even bother sitting. With good reason, Remus came to discover, as the hat called out "GRYFFINDOR" even faster than it had for Lily. The Gryffindors cheered, loud and wild, as James ran over to them, hugging Peter and the same girl as well as high-fiving a boy Remus didn't know. A few more students were sorted, three Slytherins and a Ravenclaw, and a few others Remus didn't listen to, until finally it was just him and Sirius left.

"Lupin, Remus!"

"Well, good luck," Remus muttered to Sirius as he made his way up the alter. He spotted Dumbledore, who gave Remus a reassuring smile. Remus tried to return it but it came out as more of a grimace. He picked up the hat and sat down, getting a quick glance of the Hall, all eyes on him, before dropping it over his head.

_Well, well, well, who do we have here? Ah, Remus Lupin._

Remus jumped. _Who said that?_

_Why me, dear boy, the sorting hat! I can talk after all, not just singing and shouting out Houses!_

_Oh... er, hi? I guess?_

_Hm, kindness I see. Good for Hufflepuff. But no, you're too rough for them, too rugged. Bookish, very intelligent as well, very respectful, you may do well in Ravenclaw. Oh, what's this though, this darkness... oh my!_

_Please don't say anything! Please! They'll all hear you!_

_Remus, no one can hear me but you. A werewolf, eh? That's unexpected. But you fight it, boy do you fight. You could be so dark and strong, so powerful, it would be easy for you. But you don't give in. Why?_

In truth, Remus didn't know why. He wanted to answer because he was better than Moony, more human than wolf, but he didn't actually believe that. He knew there was no point in lying to a hat that could read his thoughts and his heart, so he just kept his mind blank.

_A fighter. Brave, intelligent, kind, loyal, I know just where to put you._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word was shouted for all the Hall to hear, and Remus felt himself beaming, excitement and pride clear in his face as he tugged the hat off and ran to sit with Lily, who hugged him hard. Remus and James locked eyes, and James smiled, cautious but welcoming. They were Housemates now, which was apparently all the incentive James needed to give Remus a chance. Finally, the cheers died down, and one solitary, dark-haired student remained.

"Black, Sirius!"

The Slytherin table erupted into cheers, and Remus glanced around, confused. Had he missed Sirius being sorted? No, the boy stood at the alter in front of the hat, looking pale but steady on his feet.

"Blacks always end up in Slytherin," James Potter whispered from behind him.

"Always?" Remus asked, keeping one ear open for the hat's ruling. It seemed to be taking longer than usual. James nodded. The silence stretched on and on. Remus watched Sirius shift in his chair, his shoulders hunching, as if he was arguing with the hat. Professor McGonagall was just starting to look concerned when the hat's brim flew open. The Slytherins hunched, poised, ready to start clapping, cheering and stomping as their newest member joined the fray.

"GRYFFINDOR!"


	5. Detention

**A/N **I had a point made to me by the user mythology1746, who has some rather excellent stories now that I've read her work, that the Sorting is done in alphabetical order. I just wanted to say I know that's how it's supposed to be, but I chose to ignore it because I'm too lazy to invent a list of names for one short scene haha. Also I like putting in little quips about Remus and how he's always noticing things and thinking them over. We all know he's a major braniac, so why not play it up? While I have your attention, I should tell you that this story is intended to be _mostly_ canonical. I've played with a few little details, one of which will turn up in this chapter, but it's true to the characters and their story. That is all for now =D

* * *

Sirius stared at the food in front of him, unable to bring himself to eat. The students were loud, but all he could hear was the hat, screaming out "Gryffindor" over and over again in his mind. Gryffindor? He was a _Gryffindor_? That wasn't possible! Black's were always placed in Slytherin! He felt a small tremor run down his spine. He was a Black, but there he was, sitting under the crimson and gold lion he had heard cursed in his house so many times. What would Mother say when she found out? What was he going to do with the green and silver scarf Father had given him?

A thought hit him like a ton of bricks.

What would Regulus say?

Sure, Sirius had always been more rebellious. Muggle clothing and music, heavy boots, long hair, but he had never been traitorous. Regulus obeyed much more, conformed much quicker, but the younger boy looked up to his brother. Regulus trusted Sirius to lead the way, even with all their differences, for reasons Sirius didn't understand. While Regulus' sense of self preservation was stronger than anything else, Sirius' hardly seemed to exist at times. He laid a hand over his knee, smiling at a memory that exemplified exactly how little he worried about himself when it came to pissing his parents off. It was just after his tenth birthday, and he had been going through his mother's spell books in search of charms he could perform to customize his newly-given bedroom. Up until that point, he and Regulus had shared one of the multiple bedrooms at 12 Grimmauld Place, and Regulus had gotten full control of the decorating. Being raised pure-blood, Sirius felt no shame in looking up decorating spells and potions that would soften his bed and scent his room. He had to take pride in his appearance, and his bedroom was an extension of himself. He often saw his father walking around the house, muttering spells to change the curtains or paint the walls a new colour. It wasn't girly or feminine at all, but simply a matter of keeping everything in tip-top shape. Sirius, of course, was looking to make his room as obnoxious and provocative as he possibly could to get back at his parents for whatever they had done to him that time.

He had come across a spell that was supposed to etch a design into a wall and then colour it with never-fading ink. He began picturing the most lewd, anger-inducing designs he could think of when a brilliant idea struck him. Grabbing the book and his wand, he ran up to his room and practiced the spell a few times on his wall to be sure he had the hang of it. Once he felt confident enough, he had locked the door, pulled off his pants and pointed the tip of the wand at his knee before muttering the words of the spell under his breath.

A lot of pain, a trip to St. Mungo's and a full week of being locked in the dungeon as punishment later, Sirius still had a small, black dragon breathing red flames permanently etched onto the side of his leg.

"Sirius Black?" He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Professor McGonagall hovering over him, Snape at her side. "I hope you've eaten, I'm taking you to detention now along with the others." He looked around to see Potter, Lily, Peter and Remus getting to their feet. He stood up, his empty stomach giving an embarrassingly loud growl. McGonagall arched her eyebrow. "Have you even touched your dinner?"

"Don't worry about it, I've worked hungry before." He stared at her defiantly, waiting. She shook her head but walked away, gesturing that they should follow her.

* * *

"Gryffindor! Can you believe this shit, Pete? A bloody _Black_. In _Gryffindor_. What has this world _come to_?" James had been fuming about it all through dinner, and it appeared that being three feet behind his Head of House as they walked through the corridors of the castle wasn't going to deter his ranting.

"I dunno, mate, but I doubt the hat can be wrong. They've used it for ages, right? There must be a reason," Peter answered, sounding unusually sure of himself. "Aren't you guys related?" James goggled at Peter with a look torn between confusion and anger. "Not closely! But, I mean, all pure-blood families are related after all, aren't they?" His voice was getting softer, the confidence sapped out of it from the worry that he had just angered his only friend.

James softened his look. "I'm honestly not sure. Probably, distantly, there's always been so much inbreeding in pure-blood families. But what's that got to do with anything? The Potters and the Blacks are nothing alike! Bloody hell, we're practically enemies!"

"Didn't you have a cousin placed in Slytherin though?"

"One, generations ago, and she was married into the family after Hogwarts, so she wasn't a Potter at school. How do you know that?"

"You mentioned it on the train ride over, when Frank was talking about the Houses."

James sighed. "I still don't see what you're getting at."

"Well, er, if a Potter, even if she wasn't always a Potter, someone in your family loved her enough to make her one, or maybe it was arranged, but if she eventually became a Potter but was in Slytherin, and even though Black is only distantly related to you, maybe he's related enough, I mean, er, well..." His voice was high-pitched and sounded worried, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to be having this argument but was unable to stop himself now that he had started. He took a deep breath and said in a rush, "Maybe there can be a Black in Gryffindor."

Silence greeted his words. He gathered up the last of his remaining courage and plowed on. "You never really know sometimes. I mean, the Prewetts and the Weasleys, even though both families are stuffed with Gryffindors, never exactly got along. The Weasleys were too wild. But a Weasley and a Prewett, well I guess she's also technically a Weasley now, just had a child together."

"Pete, how do you know so much about this?" Peter's eyes flew to the floor, a blush creeping into his face as he mumbled his answer into his collar. "Come again?"

"I, er, well, I mean, I'm pure-blood too. My family doesn't make a big deal about it, that's why so few people have ever heard of us, but I still learned all the history, and, well..." His voice trailed off again, eyes still on the floor. James walked along him in contemplative silence. The squat boy was right, James _had_ never heard of his family before. Although never one to care about blood status, he had assumed Peter was half-blood or maybe even Muggle born. He looked over at the boy. Short, round, with mousy brown hair and light eyes and a quiet, squeaky voice full of fear, he came off as anything but pure-blood. James felt the pity he held for the boy turn warm and grow into something more like friendship. He really had dismissed Peter far too quickly. A small smile quirked at his lips before turning into a frown as a thought occurred to him.

Had he also dismissed Black too quickly? James felt an intense urge to turn and survey the darker-haired boy, as if looking at him would provide all the answers, but fought it.

"I guess," James started softly, "you never really do know what someone is like."

Peter looked up, his eyes wide. James wondered if anyone had ever really taken the boy's words to heart before. The warm spot that had formed mere minutes ago grew larger. A tentative smile curled on the shorter boys lips, and he said with a quiet voice, "Not until you get to know them."

* * *

Sirius trailed at the end of the group, just behind Snape, Remus and Lily, Potter and Peter in the front, talking quietly about Merlin only knew what. He walked, staring at the floor, gathering his strength. He hadn't eaten in four days, having been on punishment just before leaving for school. When the trolley had come around, he had been fast asleep, his body passing out from weakness. Dinner was supposed to be his chance to fill himself back up, but he had been so stunned at being sorted into Gryffindor that he had never gotten around to eating. His stomach gave another growl followed by a painful cramp, and he shoved a fist into his gut, trying to stop the pain. Sirius became acutely aware of eyes being on him, and he looked up to see Remus watching him, curiosity and a hint of something else behind his eyes. Sirius narrowed his eyes at the boy suspiciously, causing Remus to cock an eyebrow and turn forward again.

"You will be cleaning the hospital wing tonight. Evans, Snape and Pettigrew, you will be stripping the beds, making them up with clean sheets and washing the old ones. Potter, Lupin, Black, you will be cleaning and organizing the supply closet, including bedpans. All of this will be done without magic. I will come back to get you at midnight sharp and escort you to your common rooms." She paused before a doorway and gazed at the group. "I expect better behavior from here on out. Detention on your first night, honestly!" All six students hung their heads, but Sirius expected he was the only one to do so out of physical weakness as opposed to shame. There was a click as the door opened, and Sirius looked up to see a kindly woman, looking plump and pink in a nurse uniform, standing in the doorway. Despite the soft features of her face, she looked like a formidable woman, eyes hard and jaw set.

"Poppy, these are the students serving detention tonight. Severus Snape, Peter Pettigrew and Lily Evans will take care of the beds. James Potter, Remus Lupin," the nurse's eyes widened as she looked Remus over, but said nothing, "and Sirius Black will be tackling your closet. I'll be back at midnight." McGonagall swept off, leaving the six of them alone with the nurse.

"Evans, was it? You look responsible enough. The clean sheets are in the back and to the left. You will need 16 sets." Lily nodded and walked in, followed closely by Peter and Snape. "You three, the supply closet is directly inside, second door on the right. Remus, you will follow me to get the cleaning supplies." The boys nodded and filed in quickly. Potter found the door and Sirius followed him in, turning on the light, while Remus walked off with the nurse.

"Oh bloody hell, this is going to take all night!" James whined, taking in the sight of the messy supply closet. Sirius groaned in response, refusing to agree with a Potter but also realizing that it was, indeed, going to be a long night for them. Potion bottles were tipped over, some empty, some dripping liquids. Jars were half filled and containers were open everywhere. Things were strewn about, as if they had been thrown in a frenzy to find the right bottle. The bedpans were piled in a corner haphazardly. The whole room stunk of herbs, magic, urine and something sharp and metallic that Sirius recognized as blood. Remus returned shortly, arms full of cleaning supplies and rubber gloves. "Well lads, let's get to it, I suppose," Potter said, picking up a pair of gloves and pulling them on. Sirius followed suit, cursing, his head feeling fuzzy from lack of food and too many scents. Remus was already on the floor, his shoulders tense, as if he was warding off the urge to vomit. Sighing again, Sirius turned to the nearest shelf and started picking up bottles, a wet cloth in his hand to wipe down any spilled potions. A loud clanging told him that Potter had attempted to tackle the bedpans, and was probably failing, but he was too angry and weak to care.

It was slow work, with lots of gagging and walking in and out to refill empty containers. One corner required all three boys at once. A sticky, bright pink potion had spilled from the top most shelf to the floor and everything that the liquid touched seemed permanently rooted to the spot. It was only after lots of tugging, spraying with chemicals and a fair bit of yelling from the two black-haired boys that they finally got the last of the offending pink potion off the wooden shelves.

"What in the name of Merlin was that gunk?" Sirius asked no one in particular, looking at his fingers, which were covered in it.

"It looks like skin growth potion. You apply it to bad wounds, like burns or cuts, and it grows a temporary layer of skin until the wound heals on its own." It took Sirius a second to realize it was Remus who had spoken. The boy was so quiet that Sirius hadn't recognized his voice. "Don't lick it!" Sirius turned in time to see Potter pull his tongue back into his mouth, abashed. "If you get any in your mouth, your lips seal shut. They have to yank them open, which usually makes your mouth bleed, and then they have to reapply the skin growth to your mouth and you have to lay there with a giant metal contraption in your mouth so your lips heal without sealing shut again. Why are you two laughing?!"

Sirius was bent double, wheezing with laughter, and Potter was on the floor positively howling. "We-we should steal some of this stuff and put it on all the girls' lipsticks!" Potter could barely get the idea out, he was laughing so hard, but the thought only caused Sirius to laugh harder, tears running down his cheeks.

"Oh, oh, imagine if we could get it onto the Professors' cups! A day of no lessons because they couldn't speak!" Sirius fell to his knees, gasping. He could hear Potter laughing harder than ever, and soon Remus joined in, cracking up.

Once they had caught their breath, Sirius looked up to find Potter regarding him with interest. "I never took you for a prankster, Black."

"I never took you for intelligent, Potter, but that idea with the lipstick was bloody brilliant." Sirius began to chuckle again. "D'ya reckon we should try to do it?"

Potter – James – lit up at the thought. "Oh, definitely! Too bad greasy git out there is a boy, I'd sure love to see his lips sealed shut."

"Severus?" Remus piped in, looking torn between being amused and angry. "What's he ever done to you?"

"His existence is annoying." That had come from Sirius before the boy had had a chance to think the words through. James looked at him with reverence.

"Exactly, Black! Exactly!"

"I think he's just fine," Remus tried again, but it was clear his resolve was weakening.

"Well, no one said you had to help," Sirius snapped, getting angry at the smaller boy for a reason Sirius didn't understand.

"Hey, no reason to be mean to him. Looks like him and Snape were friendly on the train," James said calmly, staring hard at Sirius. Sirius blinked at James in confusion. Why was he standing up for this boy he hadn't even known a day? Remus looked equally confused, but said nothing.

"I'm not going to help you two," Remus said cautiously, "but I happen to remember Severus applying some medication to his lips. They cracked in the cold over vacation. He went skiing. He keeps it in his bag, front zipper pocket." The small boy stood, pretending not to notice the incredulous looks the two other boys were giving him. "Excuse me, I need to use the loo." His eyes twinkled with quiet amusement as he stepped out, leaving they other two dumbfounded.

"Surely not another prankster, not that one, he's too quiet!" Sirius gasped, looking in askance to James just to find he was already working on preserving some of the pink skin regrowth potion in a tiny bottle. Sirius smiled and reached to help him, all blood rivalry forgotten. As an 11-almost-12 year old boy, nothing was going to stand in the way of finding a fellow mischief maker.

"You never know, Bla-Sirius," James said, his words reminiscent of his conversation with Peter, as he eyed the long haired boy up and down with quiet enthusiasm, "you really never know."


	6. His Lips Are Sealed

Midnight rolled around to find four exhausted boys leaning against various surfaces in the hospital wing, barely keeping their eyes open. The smallest boy of them all was curled up on the floor in a fitful sleep and, across the room, a little red headed girl laid under a blanket on one of the beds she had just spent hours making. There was a short tap at the door before it opened, Professor McGonagall appearing more as a silhouette than an actual person. Sirius could have cried in relief. Exhaustion and hunger made his body heavy and he found himself having trouble walking when she beckoned the conscious boys over.

"Mr. Snape, since you are the only one not in my own House, I've brought down your prefect. He will direct you to your common room and show your where you'll be sleeping." Snape nodded sleepily, his eyes closing even as she spoke. "The rest of you, please wake Mr. Lupin and Ms. Evans and follow me." James, Sirius and Peter nodded, turning back to the sleeping forms behind them.

"I'll get Remus," Sirius said, not sure why he was volunteering but too tired to question it. "You two get Evans." James and Peter nodded and turned, walking towards the window and the bed that housed Lily. Sirius reached Remus and crouched down, gazing at the pale boy in front of him. He knees were drawn to his chest, one arm around them while one rested under his head. A light tremor ran through the small boy's body every now and then and he nuzzled his head into his own arm as if looking for comfort. Sirius cocked his head, a nasty habit he had that his mother said made him look like a dog, as he watched Remus' face. It was pinched in what looked like a mixture of fear and pain and Sirius couldn't help but wonder what the small boy was dreaming about. Remus let out a whimper as his body gave a particularly hard shudder and Sirius felt something in his chest hurt. He was suddenly desperate to wake Remus up and get him out of whatever nightmare the poor boy found himself trapped in.

Sirius placed a hand on Remus' shoulder and shook gently. "Remus?" It didn't seem to have any effect. Sirius shook him a little harder. "Remus. Remus!" Sirius gave a very hard shake and Remus' eyes flew open. Before he understood what was happening, Sirius found himself on the floor, pinned by his thighs and wrists, Remus above him. A wild look passed through the boy's eyes, which looked more golden than brown, and Sirius felt himself gulp. He tried to move and gasped when he found that he couldn't. Remus' small, sickly frame belied the strength he had and it sent a cold chill down the black-haired boy's back when he understood that he was totally and utterly trapped. "Remus," Sirius said, trying to sound brave but instead sounding terrified. He felt the young boy stiffen above him and watched in fascinated horror as the angry, wild look on Remus' face melted away. In its place was the picture of horror. Wide eyes, mouth slightly open, Sirius found himself looking at the ceiling when Remus suddenly launched himself off the older boy in a quick, fluid movement. Once free, Sirius scrambled up, pulling himself to his feet as he stared at Remus, who was curling in on himself where he stood, eyes down cast and arms wrapped around his stomach.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," came the smaller boy's even smaller voice, his entire frame shaking. Sirius stared at him, confused and more than a little scared, but the whimpering voice reminded him so much of Regulus and of the whimpering sound Remus had made in the middle of his nightmare that he felt his heart breaking.

"It's ok, Remus. It's nothing. Come on, McGonagall's here to take us to our rooms." Remus looked up at Sirius, disbelief clear on his face.

"You're not mad?" His voice came out as barely whisper, and Sirius felt himself smiling as he shook his head. Remus sniffed, seemed to contemplate the black-haired boy in front of him, and finally smiled. "I'm really sorry, Sirius. I was having this nightmare and I guess-"

"Don't worry about it, Remus, I get it. I've gotten punched before for waking my parents up." He didn't mention that it wasn't because of a reaction to a nightmare, but that part wasn't important right now. Sirius found he rather liked the skinny boy and didn't want to alienate him for something he couldn't control. He smiled again, waving his hand forward. "Come on, I'm blasted tired, and I'd like to get some sleep some time tonight, if it's all the same to you." Sirius smirked, his voice full of attitude. He felt a little ball of warmth form in his stomach as Remus smiled and they walked to the doorway together, comfortable and sleepy silence between them.

* * *

It was a week after their detention, and some interesting dynamics had formed between the six students. Remus, Sirius, Peter and James had become practically inseparable, most of all Sirius and James, who had discovered brothers in each other and took to the bond instantly. Remus and Lily had formed a delicate friendship, the cornerstones of which were based on spending far too much time in the library. James had developed a school boy crush on Lily, which fully bothered the red head and she showed no hesitation in demonstrating exactly how annoying his "romantic" advances were, though she never tried to break off the developing friendship between them. Lily and Severus were as close as ever, Remus drifting between them and the three Gryffindor boys as the days passed. It was a bit strange and very jarring, how quickly it all happened, but no one seemed to object to the new relationships that were blossoming early on in their first year. The children were at an odd type of peace with one another.

Then, of course, James and Sirius had to go and blow it all up.

* * *

It was a bright, warm Tuesday morning, midway through September. Remus was spooning porridge into his bowl, his eyes focusing on the book in his lap, when he heard an uproar from across the Great Hall. He jerked his head up and instantly located the source of the noise. Severus was on his feet, a look of horror on his face. He was screaming. Or, well, he would have been, if not for the fact that his lips were sealed shut.

Remus ran his eyes up and down his own table until he found them, two heads of messy black hair, bent close together, their occupants shaking with laughter. He wanted to sigh, he wanted to be mad, but he knew that it had been coming.

"Sev!" Lily had just come down to breakfast, taking in the situation with a quick glance around, and was rushing to her best friend's side. "Severus, oh no, what happened! What is this?" She turned, her scared eyes finding Remus, who stood and ran to Lily's side, trying to calm both her and Severus down.

"It's ok you two, it's ok, it's skin growth potion. He just needs to go to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will know how to help him. Come on." Remus grabbed her arm, and she grabbed Severus by the wrist, and the three of them ran towards the entryway of the Great Hall. Lily suddenly stopped short, Severus running into her and Remus being jerked back by the sudden lack of movement.

"Potter." The venom in her voice sent a chill down Remus' spine as he turned to see James and Sirius, both rather silent and stiff-backed, staring at Lily. James, with wonder and innocence. Sirius, Remus was proud to notice, looked at least a little abashed at having been caught.

"Yes, Lily dear?" Remus could have hit James.

Lily actually did.

The sound of flesh on flesh rang through the Great Hall, causing an astounding silence to fall over the student body of Hogwarts as Lily's hand made contact with James' face. Being only 11, still a little girl, the slap didn't do much physical damage, but James looked humiliated, angry and something Remus would later understand to be heartbroken. Remus almost felt sorry for James, but as he opened his mouth to comfort his friend, he caught the look on Lily's face and decided to stay silent.

"Stay. Away. From me." Lily glared at James, her face red as her hair and finger in his face. "Both of you," she snapped, turning to Sirius as well. James said nothing, his pride too hurt to speak. Sirius simply nodded.

"Er, Lily? Severus is going to get hungry at some point." Remus' bad joke only caused Lily to turn her enraged face on him, but at the sight of Remus she seemed to remember he was friend and not foe. She nodded, casting a final withering glare at James and Sirius, before the trio made their way out of the Hall, all eyes on them. Remus heard McGonagall scream "Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, the head table, now!" and he shook his head, wondering what sort of detention his trouble making friends were going to get for this one.

* * *

"A week of detention with Hagrid? That's _it_?!" Peter said, shocked, when the four boys had met up after their first lessons. James and Sirius had missed their Herbology lesson, but Remus and Peter found them outside their second class of the day, Transfiguration. Remus guessed McGonagall had spent the entire first hour of the day berating them for the prank and assigning them detentions.

"That's it for Sirius," James muttered, disgruntled, "I've got two weeks of working in the Owlry after lunch."

"James, it was your idea," Sirius said, trying to sound comforting but too happy over his significantly easier detention to sound sincere. When James glared at him, Sirius got the hint and fell silent.

"What Sirius meant to say is that he'll be helping you next week since it was actually _his_ idea to use the potion on Severus, you were just the one who somehow got it into his medication," Remus said, taking on a very professorly tone as he stared at his two black-haired friends. James smiled smugly and Sirius gaped at him.

"Who are you to tell me that?!" His voice held every ounce of pure-blood, aristocratic upbringing Sirius could muster.

Remus opened his mouth to argue when a flash of something Sirius couldn't identify ran over his small friend's face before he shut his mouth. "Never mind, I'm sorry, you're right, it wasn't my place to say that. I'm sorry. Let's go in." Before anyone could respond, Remus had turned and walked into the Transfiguration classroom, leaving his three friends staring at his back in confusion.

"Aw, what'd you go and yell at him for, Sirius? Remus never stands up for anything," Peter said, showing an incredible amount of bravery himself by standing up to the surly boy.

Sirius shrugged. "I don't take orders well." James cuffed him upside the head and walked in, Peter following him. If either boy had looked back, they would have seen the look of painful regret that flashed in Sirius' eyes for just a second before the boy shoved the emotions down and walked into the classroom, taking a seat next to James and as far away from Remus as possible, who was hunched in on himself at the edge of the table, staring at nothing.


	7. Please

**A/N** Soooo, this chapter has Sirius speaking in Latin. It's always something I imagined really old pure-blood families would teach their children. It's from Google translate so I apologize if anyone reading this actually does speak Latin, cuz I'm sure it's horribly butchered lol. If you don't feel like translating the Latin yourself, or you want to hold out until it's revealed with the story, it will be repeated in English... I'm going to say "eventually" haha. It may be the next chapter, it may be ten chapters later, but it shall happen! I promise =)

* * *

Remus sighed, tossing and turning in his bed. His bones ached and he felt such a deep exhaustion in his very blood that he didn't think he would be able to get up for dinner. He had skipped his last two classes of the day at the insistence of the other three. When he'd passed the mirror the ever-vain Sirius had hung on the wall, he had nearly jumped out of his skin. His face was pale and drawn, the circles under his eyes so dark he looked like he had make-up on. He could feel himself shaking and shuddering with every step and his breath was raspy and shallow. He looked like he was on death's door, and he couldn't even tell his friend's why.

Tonight was the full moon. Remus could feel Moony, the darkly ironic nickname his 7 year old self had given the wolf, growing restless and angry. Remus himself was extremely nervous. This would be his first transformation since he started at Hogwarts, his first one without his parents, and he had no idea how Moony would react to the new people and new environment. Remus turned in his bed again and growled in frustration, sitting up. His entire body protested the quick movement, but he simply couldn't be still any longer. He swung his legs off the bed and pulled his shoes on, deciding he'd go down to the hospital wing early that night and talk to Madam Pomfrey about exactly how this was going to work every month. He was just buttoning his outdoor cloak when his sharp hearing, made even sharper by the dawning moon, picked up the sound of voices. James and Sirius. He sniffed deeply, their scents filling him up. James, grassy and thick and heavy like a wet field after the first rains of spring, and Sirius, dark and cold like a deep lake in the middle of the night held tight in the grips of an icy winter. It wasn't the first time Remus was struck but how different their scents were, so contrasting and such polar opposites. But when they were together, their scents mingled and melded to create an entirely unique scent, one that Remus could only liken to an approaching storm that could either be pouring rain or heavy snow, a few degrees difference making the decision at the last possible moment. It was that approaching storm that he could smell now, coming up the stairs to their shared dorm room.

Remus panicked, realizing he had to hide or else would be stuck facing awkward questions he didn't want to give the answers to. He did the first thing he could think of, which was hide in Peter's closet. He left the door cracked just enough to give him light and fresh air. Peter, wonderful boy that he was, hadn't quite gotten the hang of proper bathing just yet, and to Remus' strong nose, the stench of body odor and cooking grease mixed with the oddly dirt-like smell that was all Peter was almost enough to knock the poor young werewolf out.

Remus watched, half holding his breath, as two boys that were slowly becoming his best friends stepped into the room, dropping their books on the floor and sitting together next to each other on James' bed. He felt a shudder run down his spine. What if they didn't leave soon enough? What would Remus do? He couldn't stay in here with them when he transformed, he simply couldn't! It was way too dangerous!

Remus took a deep breath, immediately regretting the action as he got a mouthful of eau-de-Peter, but holding it anyway as he counted to ten, schooling his pulse into slowing. He was getting himself worked up for nothing. The moon wouldn't be in the sky for hours still, and the boys would have to go down for dinner eventually. It would be ok, they would leave and Remus would rush off to the hospital wing. He just had to entertain himself until then. He began mentally reciting ingredients for an advanced potion he had been reading about that was supposed to give all those who drank it a temporary ability to speak to animals when he heard his name fall into the conversation. Silencing his thoughts, he leaned closer to the crack in the door and, feeling only slightly guilty, began to listen.

* * *

"Oh thank Merlin, I thought he would never stop talking!" Sirius burst from the classroom, swinging his arms wide and spinning in a circle. "Binns has to be the dullest Professor in this life _and_ the after-life. Honestly, how could a ghost be so bloody _boring_?!" Sirius spun again, enjoying the feeling of stretching his limbs.

"I'd stop spinning, mate, you're starting to look like Julie Andrews," Peter said, trudging after the black-haired boys.

"Who?" James and Sirius asked in unison.

"Never mind, it's a muggle movie my mother loves. This bird keeps spinning around on the top of a hill, singing."

"Well, I am not a bird, or on top of a hill, or singing, so I'm going to spin all I damn well want!" Sirius spun again to emphasize his point.

"Whatever. Listen lads, I'm going to meet with Kettleburn, I'm going to fail the practical exam next week if I don't get some help."

"It's flobberworms, Pete, not that hard to understand. Act like you're feeding them and don't squish any and you're golden!" James followed after Sirius, trying to keep from laughing as his best friend fell to the ground after spinning himself straight into a wall.

"Yeah, well, I'm still going," Peter mumbled, trying not to look embarrassed.

"Kay Petey, see you at dinner," Sirius said from the floor, still looking a little dazed.

"Come on, spinning top, let's go up to the dorm for a bit, I could do with a rest before dinner." James hoisted Sirius off the floor and the two of them made their way up, up, up the castle until they finally came to the portrait of the Fat Lady that guarded Gryffindor tower.

"Dingbat," Sirius said, watching as the portrait swung open. Him and James scrambled in, closing it behind them. "Poor Peter, he's really having a tough go of it. Between Care of Magical Creatures and Potions, he's coming to hate classes."

James hummed in agreement. "True, but he's doing better than any of us in Herbology. Well, except for Remus that is."

Sirius laughed as they made their way up the steps to the first year boys dormitory, his thoughts drifting to Remus with worry. He didn't say anything for fear of looking less than manly in front of his best friend and surrogate brother, but Sirius had felt a nagging concern growing in his chest since that morning. Remus, always rising so early that he was showered and dressed before any of the other boys had even woken, had slept through breakfast and arrived late to Charms. It was so unlike the smaller boy and Sirius had no idea what to do about it. He followed blindly, absorbed in his own thoughts, as James opened the door and dropped his books unceremoniously on the floor. Sirius followed suit before they both took seats atop James' bed.

He felt his eyes drift around the room, taking in the four four-poster beds. The heavy crimson curtains, trimmed with golden rope, were all drawn back so that each bed was revealed. Peter's, with soft blue sheets and one large pillow, was more or less made. James', under their butts, was a rumpled mess of golden sheets and three flat pillows. Remus had plain white sheets and three pillows, one very plump and two very flat, but his usually hospital-neat bed looked messy, as if Remus had tried to sleep but instead just turned and turned restlessly. _Or perhaps_, said a tiny voice in the back of Sirius' mind, _he had a very violent nightmare_. The thought made Sirius' heart clench in concern and he tore his eyes away from the bed and onto the final one in the dorm, his own. Black silk sheets with holes in each corner where Sirius had yanked off the insignia of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black were strewn about, half on the bed and half on the floor. Two silk-clad pillows sat on the bed, one at the foot and one at the head.

"Sirius?" Sirius turned his eyes to James, who was looking at him with worry. Sirius knew this was a part of James that only he got to see, the open warmth and concern that stemmed from his kind, loving heart. When everyone else looked at James, they saw an irresponsible little boy who thought about nothing but pulling pranks and playing Quidditch, and James did nothing to correct this view. However, when he and Sirius were alone, James relaxed his grip on the careless little boy image and let his true self show. He was still obsessed with pulling pranks and playing Quidditch, but he was also intelligent, observant, a great friend who held real care for those he decided he liked. Right now, that care was in full force and directed at the young Black who sat beside him. "Sirius, where's your head?"

Sirius bit his lip, his eyes falling to the floor. Would James understand?

"You're worried about Remus."

His eyes snapped up, wide and shocked. Was it really that obvious? Or had James already learned to read Sirius well enough to know what his thoughts were? Whatever the reason, Sirius didn't have time to guess it because he felt his head nodding of its own free will.

"Yeah. I am, too. He really didn't look well today. I wonder what was wrong."

Sirius shrugged. "I'm not sure. He looked so weak but also, I don't know, he looked tense. Like he was ready to run away at any second, even though he definitely wasn't strong enough to get far. He could barely walk down the hill to Care of Magical Creatures!" Sirius could hear his voice rising in pitch and took a breath, not understanding why he was so worked up. It was only Remus.

James seemed to pick up on his thoughts again. "You're really worried about him, aren't you?" Sirius nodded. "Why?" The question didn't sound threatening or jealous, simply curious, like when someone asked why you liked a certain book more than others.

Sirius fell silent, trying to find the answer. Why _did_ he care so much about Remus? They were friends, that was certain, and the small boy had a wicked quick mind with a secretive love of pranks and mischief that clicked perfectly with James and Sirius, but it was more than that. Sirius could explain his affection for James in one word: brothers. That was what it boiled down to, even someone as young as them could understand that. They were meant to be brothers, born to two different families simply because one household couldn't have possibly survived them both. And Peter, well, Peter was like a baby. Small, clueless and adorable, and Sirius wanted to help him out. The black-haired preteen had a soft love of children, not that he would ever admit that out loud, but Peter provoked that love in an innocent but strong way. Remus, though, there simply wasn't a reason. Sirius just... cared.

"I don't know, mate."

James regarded Sirius with curious eyes, eyes that understood more than any 11 year old boy should be capable of understanding. He nodded, as if Sirius had given a perfectly satisfactory answer, before standing. "Come on man, I'm hungry. It's just about time for dinner anyway."

"Go ahead without me, I'll be down in a blink," Sirius replied, giving James a smile when the other boy hesitated.

"Alright. Don't wait too long or Pete will have eaten your share of Shepard's Pie." James chuckled and stepped out, the door giving a soft click behind him.

* * *

Remus huddled in the closet, his mind spinning with what he had just heard. Why did Sirius care so much about him? The black-haired boy hadn't been able to answer. Remus heard movement and looked back out through the crack in the door, spotting Sirius as he stood, stretching, before moving to sit on the floor near his bed and rummaging in his trunk. He stilled, finding what he was looking for, and began to pull, bringing to the surface a stuffed wolf doll. Remus felt his breath hitch in his throat with a small laugh at the irony. It wasn't until Sirius sat on his bed and cast a paranoid glance around the room before hugging the plush toy to his body did Remus realize what a private moment he was currently spying on. He swallowed, his guilt intensifying, but found himself unable to look away.

"_Oh, Lupus, quid agam?"_ Sirius muttered to the stuffed animal. Remus blinked, his guilt receding slightly. Sirius was speaking to the doll in another language, one Remus recognized as Latin but didn't understand well enough to know what was being said. This wasn't so bad, right?

But Remus knew himself, he knew he wouldn't just take this and ignore it. He was going to write down the words as best he could and look up their meanings later. Digging quietly into his pocket, he pulled out a piece of spare parchment and a quill that still had some ink on it and began to write.

"_Sum confusus. Ego multum curant de eum. Nescio cur. Quid agam? Quid agam? Puto scio cur, sed require esse iniuriam. Familiae meae utinam interficiat me."_ Sirius sighed in frustration, pausing for a second. Remus silently gave thanks for the break, his writing not fast enough to keep up with Sirius' words. Remus heard Sirius take a shaky breath, and knew he was about to speak again. _"Peto nam responsa. Quod respondeas. Ullam omnino. Perplaceo, perplaceo, ego postulo succurro."_ Sirius gave the wolf a final squeeze before looking out the window at the moon Remus could feel rising higher and higher. "Please." The word was whispered, sounding like a prayer, and the desperation in Sirius' voice broke the small boy's heart. If only he knew what his friend was saying! He knew Sirius was older than them, turning twelve in just a few weeks, but he had sounded far too old for his age, the weariness in his voice creating a striking picture, very much opposite that of a young looking boy hugging a stuffed animal.

Remus stayed quiet and still as he heard Sirius get off the bed and replace the wolf doll back in its hiding place. There was a moment of silence, and Remus was beginning to wonder if Sirius had left when he heard a soft sniffle. He knew what the sound meant, but couldn't bring himself to look. He knew the image of Sirius crying would send him over the edge.

Finally, Remus heard the groan of the floor and the soft click of the door as it opened and closed, indicating Sirius' departure. He counted to ten, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the closet and into the deserted room. His eyes found the trunk at the end of Sirius' bed, closed tight and looking as innocent as ever. He wanted to rush to his friend and comfort him, but the pull of the moon was too strong. He had about an hour, maybe less, until he transformed. Glancing at the paper in his hands, covered in messy scribbles as Remus tried to keep up with what Sirius was saying, he decided to keep it safe in his room. Opening his own trunk, he picked up a worn copy of his favourite book, _The Chronicles of Narnia, _and hid the paper tight between the front cover and first page.

Replacing the book he stood, cast a final glance around the room for any signs of his intrusion on his friends' private moments, and walked out, rushing to the hospital wing.


	8. What Illness?

"Where is he?!" Peter jumped, pulling himself out of his breakfast to find Sirius hovering over the table, his face red and fists clenched in anger.

"Which he?" the chubby boy asked as he noticed both James and Remus were missing from the table that morning.

"Remus! It's been three days and he still hasn't come back!"

Peter put his fork down, watching Sirius with a mixture of fear and concern. "Sirius, it's only been one day."

"No! He was sick on Tuesday, he didn't show up all day yesterday and now it's Thursday and he's still not here! That's three!"

"It's one," Peter replied, his voice starting to shake. He was never very good at standing up to his friends, least of all Sirius, who they had all discovered very quickly was absolutely unpredictable when he was in a mood. Much like how he was this morning, if the glare he was giving Peter was any indication.

"Who cares how many days it's been," the black haired boy's voice exploded through the Great Hall, causing a hush to fall over the tables, "if he's _still not here_?!" He threw his fists onto the table, one coming straight into contact with a serving spoon that sent fresh fruit salad flying through the air.

"Mister Black." The calm voice of the Headmaster came floating over the hush. Peter watched as Sirius' face went pale. Both boys turned to the Professor's table to see Dumbledore standing, his eyes on the young aristocrat. "You shall accompany me to my office now." Without waiting for a response, Dumbledore left the table and exited the Great Hall. All eyes turned to Sirius, who called on every ounce of training he had ever received to force his back up straight as he followed the Headmaster out of the Hall and into the corridor.

"Professor-" Sirius began, ready to argue.

"Not now, Mister Black. In my office." Sirius nodded curtly and fell silent, taking two fast strides for everyone long one Dumbledore took. When they reached a statue of a rather grotesque gargoyle and paused, a tendril of worry gripped his heart. He was going to the Headmaster's office, and it wasn't even October yet! He was a Gryffindor, he was friend with a Potter and a half-blood and had a strange sense of care and protectiveness for a boy he hardly knew.

He was off to a wonderful start.

"Licorice wand." Sirius looked over at Dumbledore in confusion, wondering why the man was offering him candy, when the gargoyle straightened up with life and jumped aside to reveal a spiraling stairwell that twisted and turned up the inside of the wall higher than Sirius could see. _His password is a sweet?_ Sirius found himself fighting a chuckle. It fit the eccentric Headmaster's personality, to have such an odd password to his office. Sirius climbed behind the gargoyle after Dumbledore and they began their silent ascent to his office.

Once they reached the doorway, Sirius felt his jaw drop. Hundreds and hundreds of books adorned the walls and a vast number of curious looking items sat everywhere in the office, in cabinets and on shelves and on desks. Everywhere his eye fell, he found a new oddity to look at. Coming from an old wizarding family, he recognized a few of the items. Remembrall here, Sneakoscope there, and up at the top the old Sorting Hat rested under a glass dome, still and silent.

"Please, have a seat." Sirius jumped, having forgotten the older man's presence. He turned to see Dumbledore had sat down behind his desk and was gesturing to a chair with a long back and plush cushions on the other side, watching Sirius intensely. He complied, walking stiffly to the chair and sitting down, watching the Headmaster warily. "Relax, Sirius, you're not in trouble."

"I shouldn't be! I didn't do anything wrong!" Sirius snapped before he could stop himself. He stood again and began pacing, waving his arms wildly. "I yelled, but so what? My best friend has been missing for days! He looked deathly ill and could hardly walk, I even got him to miss class, and Remus _never_ misses classes, he's such a goody two-shoes. He'd only miss classes if he was dy-" Sirius stopped, his breath catching in his throat. He couldn't say it. His hands clenched and unclenched, desperate for the soft fur of his plush wolf, Lupus. The toy had been a gift from his parent's many years ago and it had become his confidant. He would speak to the wolf when he couldn't possibly go to anyone else. Regulus had a matching one.

"Sirius." The voice was soft and warm. The boy turned and their eyes met, gray ones full of worry, blue ones understanding. He felt the fight deflate out of him, leaving only fear, and he returned to his seat before his legs gave out. "Sirius, I understand your concern, and I feel you have a right to know what is wrong with your friend." The boy suddenly had trouble swallowing. Was something seriously wrong? Was Remus actually...? "You have had the rather unfortunate pleasure of befriending a young man with a chronic illness. He gets sick frequently and needs to go to the hospital wing for many days at a time to recuperate. It is nothing contagious, and is not necessarily terminal, but it is very serious. He will probably never be cured."

Sirius sat in stunned silence, trying to digest the words. "Um. What is he sick with?"

Dumbledore gave him a look Sirius didn't understand. "That, my dear boy, is not mine to reveal. And I must beg you, and Mister Potter and Mister Pettigrew since I know they will be told of what goes on in this obviously private meeting, that you do not pester Mister Lupin for answer. If he decides to share the details of his illness with you, he shall do so in his own time. Do you understand me?" Sirius nodded, unable to speak. "I do believe it is time for class. You should be on your way." Sirius nodded again and stood, realizing numbly that his bag was still in his dormitory. He turned and walked silently towards the door. "Mister Black." Sirius turned back, taking in the Headmaster's look. He seemed to be regarding Sirius with anticipation and something that looked like hope. But hope for what, Sirius wasn't sure.

"Yes, Headmaster?"

"If he does explain why he is ill, I trust you, as well as Mister Potter and Mister Pettigrew, to treat him no differently than you ever have."

Sirius gave the old man a bewildered look. "Why would Remus being sick make us treat him differently? He can't help that." What sort of sickness could possibly make your friends treat you differently? It made no sense.

"I expect you to remember those words, Mister Black." Dumbledore fixed him with a hard look that gave Sirius the sensation of being pulled open, all his secrets laid out before him to be judged by the gray-haired man behind the desk. Sirius shuddered and nodded before turning and running from the office.

* * *

His head was spinning as he ran down the halls, jumping stairs and cutting corners as he raced towards the dungeons. He was late to Potions, and Professor Slughorn was notorious for taking a ridiculous amount of points off for late comers. As he rounded the final corner, the door to class visible a few yards away, Sirius felt his feet slip on the floor underneath him. He fell to his stomach, sprawling spread eagle, his bag snapping open to allow books and quills to spill out all over the floor.

"Fuck!" Sirius shouted, pain and frustration radiating through his body.

"My goodness, Black, that's not a word a young man such as yourself should be using."

A chill ran down Sirius' spine. He knew that voice, but hardly dared believe the man was behind him. Sirius pulled himself up to a kneeling position, gathering the scattered contents of his bag, determined to not look up. He reached for a quill and barely had time to pull his hand back as a large, shiny black shoe crushed it. He looked up, determined to not let his body shake.

"Lucius." The name fell from his lips like venom. The tall sixth year student loomed over him. His hair, even longer than Sirius' and so blonde it was nearly white, was pulled back into a crisp ponytail and resting over his shoulder, obscuring the Slytherin patch on the front of his robes.

"Now now, Sirius, that's no way to greet your future cousin," Lucius said in his trademark icy voice. Sirius couldn't stop the cringe that crossed his face at the thought of Lucius being related to him. Before he knew what was happening, Sirius found his back to the wall, a hand holding him off the floor by his throat. His head banged into the stone so hard that stars burst in front of his eyes. He tried to take a breath and found he couldn't, Lucius' hand was clutching him too hard.

"How dare you give me that look," the blonde boy hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "Your family would be _honored_ to be joined with the Malfoys. Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, ha! You're pathetic creatures, worm, clinging onto whatever power you can find. Your parents may be among the first to support Voldemort, but mine are already in his most trusted circle. You think your family has power? You're just leeches, all of you." Lucius shook Sirius hard, causing his head to bang into the wall again. His vision was starting to blur around the edges from lack of oxygen and he felt fear start to work it's way in. Sirius' foggy mind latched onto a word, he thought it was a name, and he grabbed at it in the desperate hope that if he got Lucius talking, the older boy would loosen his grip.

"V-Voldemort?"

Lucius stared at Sirius for a second in disbelief before throwing his head back and laughing. The sound was cold and mocking, without joy, and Sirius felt his heart stop beating. "You mean to tell me you don't even know who he is?! Pathetic. Absolutely," Lucius banged Sirius into the wall, a sickening crack resounding through the empty corridor followed by the biting, metallic scent of blood, "pathetic." He laughed again, that some cold, humorless sound, before dropping Sirius to the floor. "Tell your dear mother I said hello." Lucius spat on the floor, missing Sirius by mere inches, before walking away.

The young Black lay on the cold floor, curled up and gasping for breath. His throat felt tight and every breath burned on its way in. His head way pounding and his vision swam in front of him, black and blurry. He reached a hand up to his head and it came away warm and sticky, dripping red. Sirius knew he should be worried, should call for help, but his mouth didn't seem to be working.

"Sirius?" The voice sounded small and far away, but he knew he recognized it. "Sirius?!" The voice was panicky now. "Oh god, Sirius, what happened to you?!" Who did this voice belong to? It was warm and comforting, he knew it belonged to a friend, but his brain didn't seem to be able to connect the sound with a person. He felt himself being scooped up by strong arms and wind started to rush past his face. The person was carrying him, running. The speed and strength made Sirius certain this friend was older. He wondered idly if it was Frank Longbottom, the kind third year James had introduced them to. Or maybe one of the Prewett twins, sturdy boys in their sixth year who both played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Chasers. Whoever it was, even though he couldn't say it, he felt grateful for their strength and speed. He felt bumping and unsteady footing and realized they were climbing stairs.

"Madam Pomfrey, Madam Pomfrey!" The same friendly voice called from above him. Sirius felt himself slipping out of consciousness, his vision darkening behind his eyelids and his breath growing shallow.

"Remus? What – oh my! Quick, bring him in, bring him in!"

Sirius felt himself being laid down on something soft and clean-smelling. _Bed_, his slipping brain supplied him with, _in the_ _Hospital wing_. Another thought crossed his mind, one that made no sense. Madam Pomfrey had said the name of who had been carrying him, what was it? He knew it was there, she had said it just a second ago, but his thoughts were so fuzzy and full of cotton that he couldn't recall what it was at first. Then, like a bullet, it hit him.

_Remus?_

His world went dark.


	9. Banged Against the Wall

Remus jumped, his eyes snapping open. It was dark outside, the moon visible through the arching windows of the hospital wing. It wasn't full, so that wasn't the reason for Remus being jerked awake. His limbs felt stiff from having curled up on the chair and falling asleep, but there wasn't any pain. So what had woken him up?

A groaning noise from his right brought the memories crashing down. _Sirius on the ground, Sirius bleeding, Remus running, holding Sirius to his chest, Sirius calling his name before passing out._

"Oh god." His head spun, voice barely a whisper, as the fear for his friend's life came crashing back into him. He looked down, a dark red stain on his shirt from where Sirius had bled against him. The groaning noise came again, followed by muttering. _Sirius is awake_ Remus realized. He launched himself off his chair and stood next to the bed. "Sirius?" Remus kept his voice low and soft as he placed a hand over Sirius' and squeezed lightly. "Sirius? Can you hear me?"

Remus watched as stormy gray eyes opened, looking hazy and confused. They closed again, and Remus felt his heart drop. Then, Sirius sat bolt upright, his eyes wide open, and he began to speak. _"__Ego sum malus puer qui uerecundiae ad meipsum et familiam nóminis. Oro ueniam et propitiatio et promitto ut facite melius ab hac die donee mea mortem."_

Remus blinked, trying to understand what had just happened. Sirius was speaking Latin again, but it sounded nothing like the Latin he had used in the privacy of their dorm room. Where that had sounded open and like a prayer, this sounded fearful and automatic, as if it had been drilled into the black-haired boy from a young age. "Sirius?"

"_Ego sum malus-"_

"Sirius!"

The young boy jumped, gray eyes looking around wildly. Fear flowed from him like smoke from a fire as he took in his surroundings. "Where am I? What?" Gray found amber. "Remus?"

"Sirius, it's ok, breathe. Please. What happened?"

"Where's James?" His voice was hard, on edge. Remus felt like he had been slapped. Sirius didn't want him, he wanted James. _Of course, why would he want me here?_ The younger boy worked hard to hide the flash of pain that crossed his face, but Sirius saw it. His face fell and his voice went quiet. "No, Remus, not like that. I just... I just don't want to tell the story twice. And I know he's worried about me, I didn't see him at breakfast and never made it to lessons. I want to see Peter, too."

"Of course," Remus replied, plastering on a wide smile as he looked out the window. His reasoning made sense, but Remus was still hurt for some reason. He wanted to be the one Sirius ran to when something was wrong. The _only _one. The younger boy shook his head. _You're being ridiculous, Remus, he's friends with James and Peter too, not just you. You're not special._ "He's here, stepped away not even a minute ago to use the toilets. Peter went down to the Great Hall to try and nick you some food.."

Sirius looked the boy up and down, noting his tense shoulders and the way his eyes seemed to look anywhere but where Sirius sat in the bed.

"Remus."

"Yes, Sirius?"

"Remus, look at me." His shoulder seemed to grow even tenser as he turned his head to look Sirius dead in the face. "Remus, you're just as important to me as they are." His eyes drifted downwards to the large blood stain. "You're my best friend, ok?"

Remus nodded, his worries not eased in the slightest but refusing to bother Sirius further while he lay in the hospital wing, his head barely healed from being cracked against a stone wall.

"Sirius!" Both boys jumped and turned to the door to see James, smiling wide. "You're up, mate!" James sauntered in, trying to appear cool, but the relief he felt at seeing Sirius awake and sitting up was extremely evident. "What happened, man, you looked bloody awful. Remus _literally_ looked bloody awful, running through the castle like a crazy bloke trying to find us, his shirt dripping."

"Sirius!" Remus got a strange sense of deja-vu as three heads turned to find Peter standing in the doorway, his arms full of food. "You're ok! I bought you dinner. And lunch too, I suppose, you've been in here all day. Breakfast too, you never actually ate this morning since you were too busy raging on about-"

"Yes thank you Peter!" Sirius said loudly, cutting him off. Sirius felt his ears going hot and thanked Merlin for his long hair. How would he possibly explain his anger that morning over the missing Remus? He wasn't ready to share that outburst with anyone yet, least of all the boy it had been over. Peter, taking the hint, shut his mouth and dumped the food onto Sirius' lap. "Oh, brilliant, bangers!" Sirius grabbed up a sausage and shoved it into his mouth, biting off half in one great chomp.

"So, Sirius, are you going to tell us what happened?" James asked, reaching into the food pile and pulling out a biscuit. "Oh look, Remus, Pete bought up some chocolate!" It had taken the group all of a week to realize that Remus was an incurable chocoholic. The smallest boy perked up and reached a hand out to take the proffered chocolate.

"Hey! That's supposed to be mine!" Sirius pouted, watching as Remus took a bite out of the slab. "I'm the one with the cracked skull."

"We still don't know the reason for the injury, so forgive us for being less than sympathetic," James replied, stealing another biscuit from the pile.

"There's not much to tell. I ran into the git my cousin Narcissa is dating, he said hello in his unique way, the end." Sirius reached into the pile, fishing for some bread.

"And what way is that?" Peter asked, his cheeks bulging with cake.

"Chokingmeandbangingmeagainstthewall." He said it in one breath, not pausing between words, hoping that if he said it quick enough his friends wouldn't react much. James stared at Sirius, dumbfounded. Peter's mouth had fallen open, revealing some half-chewed chicken. For one shining second, Sirius thought his plan had actually worked.

"Er. Try that again?"

Leave it to Remus to poke holes.

"He, er, he choked me and banged me against the wall." Sirius had to stifle a chuckle, realizing exactly how that sounded when he said it slowly. James, it seemed, had picked up on the accidental double meaning as well and began to laugh too.

Remus stared at them incredulously. "What in bloody hell is so funny?!"

"Yeah, let us in on the joke!" Peter squeaked, indignant.

"Sirius got banged against the wall!" James managed to gasp out between laughs. Sirius laughed louder, sounding more like a bark than actual laughter. Remus blinked, hardly able to believe his ears. "By a bloke, no less!" The laughter grew louder while Remus went stiff and stony.

"So, let me get this straight. Sirius just got beat up, nearly to death, and you're all laughing because it sounds gay? Are you guys serious?"

"No, I'm Sirius! That's James and that's Peter!" James howled with laughter, doubling in on himself. Even Peter began to laugh at that. Remus merely shook his head.

"How long have you been waiting to use that joke?"

"Oh, lighten up, Remus. It was just a joke," Sirius said, catching his breath.

Remus hummed noncommittally. "Of course. Hilarious." Remus stared hard at Sirius, who stared right back, a dare in his gray eyes that Remus didn't understand. "I'm off, lads. We have that Charms exam tomorrow. Don't be up late." Before anyone could respond, he was out the door.

"Geez," James said, taking a bite of cake, "what's got his knickers in a twist?"

* * *

Remus stormed through the castle, his footsteps echoing in the emptying halls. He knew it was close to curfew, but he didn't want to be in his room when the others came back from the hospital wing. They would ask questions. Why did he get so mad? Why did he leave the room? Why was he acting this way? Remus shook his head hard, trying to clear the questions away. He didn't understand why he was acting like this at all, and trying to figure it out made his head spin. It wasn't until the smell of leather and paper filled his awareness that he realized his feet had carried him straight to the library. He went up to the doors and pulled, with no reward for his efforts. They were locked tight. He screamed in frustration and kicked the heavy wood, resulting in a second scream born from pain. He limped to the closest window, which was thankfully only a few feet away, and sat on the sill to give his foot a chance to stop throbbing. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cool glass of the window, trying to calm himself down.

"Remus?"

He opened his eyes to find shocking green ones looking at him with confusion. "Lily." His voice sounded flat with exhaustion but sharp, the tension obvious.

"Well you don't need to say it like that," she snapped lightly, half hurt and half playing. When Remus didn't respond, her eyes grew dark with worry. "Remus? Is everything alright?"

"Fine."

"You're lying to me."

"So?"

"Fine then, I'll leave you to sulk. Come find me when you're through being a prick." She turned and walked away, her robes billowing behind her. Remus came out of his mood when he realized how much he had upset her. He bit his lip. Lily was smart, probably as smart as James and Sirius, who people were realizing were probably the most clever boys in the entire first year. She was also much kinder than they were and better at emotions. _It must be a girl thing _Remus mused. He could still see her back, far down the hall.

"Wait!" He saw the figure still, but she did not turn. "Lily, please, I'm sorry. Come back." For a moment she didn't move at all, and Remus felt his heart sink. Had he just yelled himself out of a friendship? Eventually, however, she did turn and walked back. Her stance was defensive, her eyes guarded. She didn't say anything, just looked at him expectantly. Remus took a deep breath, his heart suddenly pounding. "Sirius is in the hospital wing."

The Lily Remus was looking at disappeared instantly. In her place stood the caring, loyal, understanding red head he was coming to know and appreciate. Her eyes were warm, her face soft, and Remus realized exactly how pretty she actually was. He knew she would be stunning as she grew older. "Oh, Remus, is that why you're upset? You're worried about him?"

Remus nodded. Then, shook his head. "Yes. No. Not exactly. I'm really not sure."

"Well, tell me the story." She hopped up to sit next to him on the sill, placing a hand over his. Remus flipped his hand so their palms met and laced their fingers together, squeezing. Lily offered up a shy smile and squeezed him back before withdrawing her hand.

"I was coming down to Potions. I was late so I was running, but I saw someone lying on the floor. There was blood around them and school supplies. I thought maybe they'd tripped and hit their head or something. I came closer and realized it was Sirius, his skull was all cracked open in the back, so I picked him up and ran to the hospital wing before going off to find James and Peter. He woke up just now and when we asked what happened, he told us some guy dating his cousin beat him up and threw him into a wall." Lily gasped at that, putting a hand over her mouth. "Exactly. But he didn't seem to care, he just acted like it was nothing. And they way he explained it was he got 'banged into the wall' and James and Sirius started laughing about how that sounded really dirty and then James said how Sirius had been banged into the wall by a bloke and they started laughing harder and I just go so mad and I stormed out and came here but it was locked so I kicked the door and hurt my foot and then I yelled at you and here we are." He stopped his rant there, panting hard, as if he had just run a marathon. His eyes were fixed on the ground, so he didn't see Lily's eyes light up with sudden understanding. But how to be sure? She stayed quiet, trying to formulate a question that would give her the answer she needed without tipping Remus off.

"You're angry that Sirius took it so lightly?" It wasn't perfect, it may not give her any more insight, but it was all she could come up with. Remus nodded and then shook his head. Lily took note of how it was the second time that evening he had done it. _It must be what he does when he's confused_ she realized. She had never seen it before, Remus was never confused in class. It was good information to have.

Remus looked up at her. "I'm not sure why I'm so angry. I mean, he should be taking this more seriously, that's for certain, but that isn't why." He sighed, reaching a hand up to run his fingers through his shaggy hair. It was hanging to below his ears now, and he wondered vaguely if he should cut it or not. "They just kept laughing."

"Were you, I mean, do sexual things, erm," Lily fumbled with her words, feeling awkward and lost. She knew she was too young, as was Remus, to really understand everything there was to know. She watched a hot flush creep up the boy's face.

"No. I mean, yes. But. Uhg. Just. That wasn't what it was!" he snapped, his embarrassment at the topic obvious. "That wouldn't make me mad. It_ doesn't_ make me mad. Maybe a little uncomfortable, sure, but not angry." His eyes were on the floor again as he got lost in his thoughts.

"Was it because of the blokes comment Potter made?" she asked. Her voice was barely a whisper, her stomach clenching with anxiety. It was the closest she'd ever dare to come to asking him outright.

Remus stilled, his face growing hot. He hadn't thought of that. _Had that been it? Is that why I got so angry?_ "I'm not sure." His answer was no louder than her question had been. "Maybe." He bit his lip and began to wring his hands with nervousness. He looked back on the past month, searching his memories for a sign. His affection for Sirius, so strong but unexplainable. His quietness whenever the other three talked about girls. The fact that he couldn't wait for winter so he could smell the icy lake all the time because it reminded him of a certain dark haired boy...

"What does it mean if it was?" His sounded so lost and desperate, too much so for an 11 year old boy. Lily knew she didn't need to answer the question. He knew exactly what it meant, he just wanted someone to give him a different answer, and she didn't have one. "What does it mean?" he whispered again, to no one in particular. The words hung in the air, heavy and intimidating. The boy began to tremble, shaking his head back and forth wildly. "It can't. I can't. No." He brought his legs up so his feet rested on the sill in front of him, his knees curled into his chest. "It can't."

Lily reached out and hugged him tight, refusing to let him go when he tried to pull away. His resistance faded quickly and he relaxed into her, still shaking.

"It can't."


	10. The Marauders

The first few weeks had passed slowly. Friendships were being formed, homework loads were being assigned that no one knew quite how to handle and enemies were beginning to make themselves apparent. Sirius had yet to inform his family he was in Gryffindor, but as the days melted away, his mind was on other things, one of which was curled up next to him with a large leather book open on its lap.

Sirius watched Remus as he read, hypnotized by the look the younger boy got. His lips pursed and opened slightly, as if he was sucking the words up through a straw. His eyes were wide as they moved rapidly over the pages. His face was tinged a soft red from what Sirius supposed was his deep enjoyment of being fully engrossed in whatever tome he was holding. His legs were curled beside him as he leaned against one arm of the couch. His head rested on one hand, fingers twisting the pale locks of hair, as the other sat on his lap, constantly held at the ready to turn the next page. Sirius watched as the small boy's lips would quirk up in a smile when he found something amusing, his brow furrow when he was aggravated, his eyes take on a distant and questioning look as he contemplated something. It was strange to watch the quiet, calm, expressionless boy go through so many emotions just because of some words on a piece of paper. Sirius knew he was staring, he did it a lot when Remus read, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away.

Remus had never explained what had made him so mad that night in the hospital wing. James told Sirius the next day that Remus had come in past curfew, his eyes red and his whole body shaking slightly. Odder still, he had come in with Lily, who looked equally a wreck. When James had asked them what happened, Lily threw a hex at him that stitched his lips together. He hadn't asked since then. Not that Sirius minded Remus having secrets, but the boy had been acting differently around him since that night and it was bothering him. The already quiet and reserved Remus had gotten significantly more silent and he always avoided being alone with Sirius. The black haired boy had lain awake many times since that night, trying to figure out what he could have done to make Remus so upset with him. He found he missed his company immensely, more than he thought he would. But with Remus finding an excuse to run out every time Sirius got him alone, he hadn't been able to ask.

Watching him read was all Sirius had.

"Alright, lads, it's a week until Halloween. I say we pull a great prank on the entire school," James said one night as the boys lounged in their common room. "Anyone have any suggestions?" He was answered with silence. "Oh come on! Nothing?" He turned to his best friend. "Sirius?"

Sirius didn't hear him, he was still watching Remus. A new expression had formed, one that looked about as close to a sneer as the kind boy could manage.

"Sirius? Oy!" James pulled some crumpled parchment from his pockets and threw it at the dark-haired boy. It hit him on the head.

"Hey, what was that for?" Sirius asked, grabbing up the parchment and throwing it back. James ducked to the side quickly and the parchment flew into the fire place, causing a slight crackle to echo through the common room as it caught fire.

"You weren't listen to me," James replied, sounding like a pouting toddler.

"Oh do forgive me, Master James, most intelligent of us all," Peter had to stifle a laugh, "I apologize for not hanging on your every word. Kindly repeat the great wisdom that leaked from your overly-large mouth so that I may hear it and bask in it's shining, brilliant, wonderful glory."

Remus looked up and stared at Sirius. "Mate, have you ever heard of Shakespeare?"

"Who's that? Someone in the upper years?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Never mind," he muttered, already sucked back into his book.

"Anyway!" James cried in a petulant tone, "I was _saying_ we should pull a prank on Halloween. Something huge, maybe during the feast so everyone in the castle gets hit with it. But I haven't a single idea. Any thoughts from you lot?" Peter's face took on an inquisitive look, clearly thinking hard. Sirius, however, was looking at Remus. The boy was chewing his bottom lip and his eyes were unfocused, his thoughts elsewhere. Sirius knew what that look meant.

"Out with it, Lupin."

Remus glared at Sirius for a second before sighing. "Frank told me they fill the Great Hall with live bats during the feast. I was thinking, maybe, we put an engorgement charm on them? Then instead of tiny little things, there will be bats flying around of all different sizes. And we can probably play with some type of alarm spell so that certain words make them grow bigger and smaller, that way they'll keep changing size, apparently at random." Three gaping faces stared back at him. When no one spoke, Remus felt his face heating up. He picked his book back up, scrunching himself in an effort to appear as small as possible. "Never mind," he muttered, his face completely obscured by the book, "stupid idea."

"Remus that's bloody brilliant!" James cried, looking at the boy with awe. "How did you ever think of that?"

Remus shrugged, his face growing redder. "Dunno. Just kind of came to me."

"You little wanker, that's the best idea I've ever heard!"

"How are we going to pull it off?" Peter spoke up, the joyous mood at the idea of the prank deflating slightly. "They don't release the bats until just before the feast. Kettleburn has them otherwise."

The group sat in silence for a few moments. "Well," Sirius began, hesitantly, speaking as the idea formed in his mind, "us three are all in Care of Magical Creatures, but Remus didn't enroll early with us. He could go the Kettleburn and distract him, ask if he can still get into the classes, while we sneak into the holding pen for all the animals, find the bats and perform the spells."

"How will you get past Kettleburn without him seeing you? Even if I am distracting him, it's hard to miss three boys walking around unleashed creatures," Remus responded.

Again, Sirius watched as someone bit his lip. However, it wasn't Remus this time. It was James. And he, oddly, used his teeth to catch his upper lip as opposed to his lower one. Sirius had never seen the quirk before, but he recognized James' shifting eyes from when he was trying to avoid detention. "James? Do you know something we don't?"

"Well, not exactly _know_, per se. More like... have."

"And what exactly is it you have?"

James rose from his chair and gestured for the other three to follow him. They obliged, Remus closing his book and leaving it on the floor. As Sirius passed it, he caught a glance at the cover – _Latin For Beginners: Learning the Root Language of the Wizarding World._

_Remus is learning Latin?_ Sirius shrugged, assuming it was just another of the boy's nerdy habits, and quickly jogged up the stairs after the other three.

"Close the door," James said as Sirius stepped in. The long haired boy obliged. "No one can know about this but us four, alright?" The others nodded. "Swear it, mates. Swear it on your mothers."

"Merlin, James, we get it! Can you stop with the drama and show us this secretive item of yours?" Sirius crossed his arms, feeling impatient.

James nodded and kneeled on the floor before his truck. He threw it open and reached in, pulling out a long, flowing, silvery looking cloak. He stood again, holding the material in his hands and looking at the other boys, hoping they would know what it was as he unfurled it. There was a gasp of understanding.

"James, you have one?" Peter whispered, reaching out to touch the cloak. James nodded. "How? They're supposed to be impossibly rare. I thought they were just a rumor."

"Can someone explain what it is to us, please?" Remus said, hungry curiosity making his voice excited.

"An invisibility cloak," James and Peter said together.

Sirius felt his jaw drop. "No bloody way, not even my family has one. Is it actually? Does it work?" James threw the cloak so that it landed on Peter. Or, at least, it should have. As it came down to cover the boy, he vanished from sight. "No bloody way," Sirius said again, his voice an awed whisper.

"Well," Remus said, his eyes wide, "that certainly helps things."

* * *

James, Sirius and Peter spent the next week in the library, studying spells and practicing them, while Remus was sick in the hospital wing again. He recovered quicker this time, and they spent an entire day ducking around the castle, practicing walking in the invisibility cloak so that all four of them could fit. It was lucky James, Sirius and Remus were all very thin and small as Peter took up enough space for two boys.

It was the 29th of October and the boys were relaxing in their dorm room, confident in their plan. Peter was on his bed, studying for Transfiguration, Remus in the next bed over with a giant book on his lap. James and Sirius were on the floor, playing Exploding Snap on a spot of singed carpet. The comfortable silence was broken by Remus, who gasped loudly, causing the other three to jump.

"Merlin's beard, Remus, you nearly gave me a heart attack," James muttered, clutching his chest. "What was that noise for?"

Remus looked up from his book, his eyes foggy. He looked confused for a second, as if forgetting where he was, before snapping into himself. "I'm sorry, lads, didn't mean to do that. I just realized this character, Antigonus, is going to die."

"How could you know that?" Sirius asked.

"Simple. It's a play, so there's stage directions throughout the text. And after this long speech of his, the stage direction says 'exit, pursued by a bear.'"

"So he's going to be eaten by a bear?" Peter asked, looking at Remus with interest, who shrugged.

"Probably."

Sirius began to roar with laughter. "Oh that's excellent, this poor man is going to be eaten by-by-by a bloody bear!" He laughed out again, not sure why he found it so funny but unable to deny the fact.

"A marauding bear, more like," Remus replied, a small smile quirking at his lips. "I guess it is rather funny."

"What did you call the bear?" James asked, sounding far too serious.

"Marauding?"

"What's that mean?"

"Well, when you say someone is marauding, or call them a marauder, you're calling them an outlaw. Kind of like a thief. A trouble maker."

"Someone like us four?"

Remus cocked his head to the side and eyed James curiously. "Well, we're not exactly thieves, but I suppose it could fit. Why?"

"Well, I've been thinking, our group needs a grand name, something we can shout out after the prank so everyone knows exactly who was responsible, but I couldn't think of anything that suited us. I think marauders fits though. The Marauders. Yeah?"

"The Marauders," Sirius said, testing the word out. "Yeah, yeah, I like that!"

"Me, too!" Peter squeaked, his voice high with excitement.

"I'm not going to talk you three out of this, am I?" Remus said, exasperated but without anger.

"Nope," they chorused.

"Well then," he said, a rarely seen wicked smile forming on his face as his eyes twinkled with mischief, "the Marauders it is!"


	11. Confessions

Sirius was nearly jumping up and down, his excitement out of control. It was Halloween morning, and everything was set to go. They had charmed the bats yesterday, thanking James up and down for his invisibility cloak. Even Remus, who still getting over the latest bout of his mysterious illness, had a glow of anticipation around him.

"I can't wait for dinner tonight!" James said, louder than intended. A couple of curious looks were sent their way, though most people simply brushed it off as first year excitement over the Halloween feast.

Most, but not all.

"And why is that?" came the accusing voice of Lily Evans.

"Because it's supposed to be absolutely grand, obviously. Delicious food, wonderful decorations, and I shall get to see you in your holiday best!" James tossed his hair in what he must have thought was a sexy way, but instead made him look like he had a twitch.

"You're absolutely repulsive," she spat back, turning in her seat to glare at her toast and eggs.

"Give it up, mate, you're never going to get her," Sirius said, ducking a second too late as James flipped a spoonful of porridge in his direction. It landed on the side of his face, seeping into his right ear and coating his hair in goop.

"Augh! My hair!" Sirius cried, reaching wildly for a napkin, knocking over a kettle of hot water in the process. The steaming liquid flowed along the table, causing several shrieks from the girls as multiple pairs of arms lifted, some holding books and delayed homework assignments, away from the impromptu river.

"Say that any louder, Black, and people may mistake you for a shirt lifter. Or perhaps a woman," an icy voice hissed from behind Sirius. He spun, a hard look on his face.

"Says the one boy here with longer hair than me," he snarled back.

Lucius quirked up an eyebrow, impressed at his soon-to-be cousin's bravery. "Yes, this is true. But I, unlike you, young Black, have a girlfriend. You, well..." his eyes drifted around the table, landing on James and Peter in quick succession before lingering on Remus. The amber-eyed boy looked up at him, not scared but not brave either. "You do not." His conclusion was simple but scathing and he turned from the table, walking away.

"You probably can't even keep the frigid bitch happy," Sirius answered back in what he thought was a low enough tone that the blonde wouldn't hear him.

When his head got slammed into the wood table beneath him, he realized he may have been wrong.

"What," came Lucius' vicious whisper, "was that you said?"

Sirius tried to answer, but his head was spinning. Lucius was strong and unafraid to show it. The slam had caused stars to burst in front of Sirius' eyes, and he felt his body freeze up in fear, unwillingly remembering the last time he had faced his cousin. Before he could collect his thoughts enough to reply, Sirius felt the blonde boy's presence vanish, followed by a loud thud.

"What are you doing!" Lily's cry was shrill, scared, and Sirius lifted his head and spun to see Remus, his head bleeding from three deep gashes, straddling Lucius. The older boy was pinned to the floor, eyes wild with rage. Under the anger, only noticeable if you looked long enough, was fear.

Sirius watched in horror as Remus tightened his fists around Lucius' wrists, his face going white when there was an audible snap as one of them broke. "Never. Hurt. Him. Again." He squeezed tighter, causing Lucius to gasp in pain as the crushed bones in one of his arms were subjected to even more torment. "Understand me?" the small boy snarled more than spoke. Lucius locked his jaw, glaring at the first year above him. There was a tense few seconds as everyone waited to see what would happen. For one wild second, Sirius thought Remus had won.

Then Lucius spit in his face.

Remus shouted out, pulling his hands from Lucius' wrists and swinging wildly at his face, neck and shoulders. Blood, sweat and spit dripped off the first year as he assaulted the older boy, howling with rage. Lucius threw his arms up, blocking his face with one arm – the injure one, Sirius noted, spotting the wrong angle his hand fell at – while retaliating with the other. There was the wet sound of flesh on flesh and Remus suddenly flew backwards. Lucius had hit him on the jaw.

Sirius jumped up in time to grab Remus by the arm, holding him tight so he couldn't jump back into the fight and hauling him away, not looking behind him for anyone else. He knew the professors had seen everything, he knew they knew it was Remus, but he needed to talk to the pale haired boy before anyone else did. Sirius ignored Remus as they climbed up to Gryffindor tower, his hand an unyielding vice grip that only relent once they were both safe inside the common room.

"Bloody hell, Sirius, I think you left a bruise," Remus said gruffly, rubbing at his arm. Sirius looked the boy up and down. His bottom lip was split and there was a large bruise forming at the corner of his mouth. His knuckles were red and scraped. There was a thick line of dry blood running from the gashes on his head, which Sirius now recognized as nail scratches, to below the collar of his robes. The small boy's eyes were bright red and Sirius wondered if the tears were solely from physical pain. Remus looked up, amber eyes meeting gray. "What?"

"You're a mess." Sirius had wanted to confront him, demands answers. The boy barely speaks to him for weeks, then attacks Lucius on his behalf? Why had he been avoiding him? Sirius wanted answers, but he wasn't going to subject Remus to his questions while the boy stood, bloodied and beaten, needing a good shower.

"Yeah, I am," Remus muttered, looking down at himself. "I think I should hop in the shower quick, yeah?" Remus didn't wait for Sirius to answer, bounding up the stairs two at a time. Sirius waited until he hear the water start to run before he followed the boy up to their shared dorm, closing the door behind him.

Sirius glanced around the room, his eyes landing on Remus' bed. The boy's dirty clothes sat on the floor, but they looked strangely clumped together. As if they had been positioned to look like they had fallen together naturally, but were actually carefully placed to hide something. Sirius glanced at the bathroom door, wrestling with his conscious. He knew instinctively Remus was trying to hide something without making it obvious.

_It's his own fault for ignoring me_ Sirius concluded, tip-toeing over to the pile of clothing and lifting them carefully. Underneath them was... a book?

No, not a book. Two books. One of which was the Latin one Sirius has seen Remus reading in the common room a few days earlier. The other one, Sirius didn't recognize. It was thick, bound in dark leather, with golden cursive spelling out _The Chronicles of Narnia_. There was a frayed bit of parchment sticking out from the top of the book as a makeshift bookmark. Sirius fell onto Remus' bed, flipping the book open and turning pages at random. It was an adventure story, that much was clear. Or rather, a collection of stories, most of which seemed to feature a proud lion. Sirius chuckled, wondering if the man who had written the stories was a Gryffindor. He reached the section where the bookmark was, some halfway through the thick novel, and was surprised to see writing on it.

Sirius plucked the bit of parchment and looked down at it, trying to understand what he was reading. It looked like it was Latin, but not exact. As if someone had written it the way the words sounded, instead of how they actually were spelled. He stared hard at the words. They seemed familiar, but where were they from?

"Kweed agam, some confuses," Sirius muttered to himself, hearing what the words were supposed to be. "What do I do. I am confused." Sirius furrowed his brow. What was he reading? His eyes scrolled down to the next line. "Ehgo multum kurant dey um... I care a lot about-" Sirius stopped, his breath hitching in his throat. He knew what these words were. "That's not possible..." His eyes roved the rest of the paper, recognizing the soft prayer he had uttered in privacy so many weeks ago that it felt like a lifetime. He flipped the paper around, already knowing what he would find on the back but feeling like he had to check to be sure.

_What do I do? I am confused. I care a lot about him. I do not know why. What do I do? What do I do? I think I know why, but I need to be wrong. My family would kill me. I ask for the answer. Some answer. Any answer at all. Please, please, I need help._

Sirius was shaking, unable to process this. Remus had heard him, translated his prayer. _How did he hear me? What does he think?_ It felt as if Sirius had swallowed a block of ice whole. He dimly registered the shower turning off, but couldn't bring himself to move. Was this why Remus had been ignoring him?

"Sirius?" Sirius looked up, the paper still clutched in his hand. His wide eyes found Remus, standing in a thick bathrobe with long sleeves that covered him from neck to ankles. He watched as the small boy's body froze up, his own eyes widening as his face went ashen. "Sirius... please, I can explain." His voice was small, scared. The dark haired boy watched as Remus took a tentative step forward, then another, slowly inching himself forward until he reached his own bed. "May I sit?" Sirius did not react, his eyes locked on the other boy's face. Remus took his lack of protest as invitation and sat down. Sirius' eyes landed on the scratches, angry and red but now free of blood. "I'm sorry I overheard you. And I'm even more sorry I copied everything down. It was a terrible thing to do." Sirius kept his eyes locked on the scratches. It took all his willpower to not reach out and run a finger down them. "We don't need to be friends anymore." Sirius heard the crack and wrenched his eyes away to find amber ones, wide and wet, as their owner fought off tears. "You sounded to hurt. So... broken. I wanted to know what you said. I wanted to help..." His voice trailed off and the small boy fell silent. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone."

Remus moved to stand, which finally jerked Sirius into motion. "Wait!" he cried out, throwing out an arm to block the younger boy's path. "Wait," he repeated, softer. Remus settled himself back onto the bed, waiting, as Sirius had asked him to. "How did you hear me?"

"I was in the bathroom when you and James came up," Remus lied smoothly. "I didn't want to interrupt you."

"So you heard me talking to James about you." It wasn't a question, Remus understood, so he didn't answer. "Is that..." Sirius stopped, swallowing hard, "is that why you've been avoiding me lately?"

"Oh god, no, Sirius, not at all." Before he registered what he was doing, Remus leaned forward and threw his arms around the older boy, holding him tight, breathing in the frozen winter lake scent that was all Sirius. The other boy responded almost instantly, burying his face into the soft cotton of Remus' robe. He could smell the soap the small boy had used and felt dampness where his slightly long hair had met the collar of the robe. The boys clutched each other tight, without awkwardness or regard for the fact that pre-teen boys weren't supposed to act this way.

"So then why?" Sirius asked, hating how desperate his voice sounded.

Remus stiffed at the other boy's words, unsure of how to answer. He refused to believe Lily's conclusion that Remus had a crush on Sirius. He couldn't wrap his head around the notion that he may like boys instead of girl. Besides, even if he did, he was way too young to have any type of romantic feelings for anyone, boy or girl. He brushed it off, deciding he was just getting used to having actual friends. "I've never had any friends before," he started, softly. "I'm not very good at it." Remus took a breath, waiting to see if Sirius accepted this answer. Which, of course, he didn't.

"I've missed you, Remus," Sirius muttered into the white cotton before pulling back slightly to look at his best friend. Large, warm amber eyes, set into a gaunt and pale face, were framed by soaking wet locks of brown hair. A small smile pulled at pale lips as Remus took in what the dark haired boy had said.

"I missed you too, Sirius."

"Then stop lying to me." Remus chewed on his bottom lip, flinching in pain when his teeth found the split from his earlier fight. Sirius reached out and put a soft finger on the younger boy's bottom lip. "Stop that, you'll make it worse." Remus retracted his teeth. "So, really, why were you avoiding me? Please, the truth." Sirius held Remus' eyes with his own, pleading. Finally, the younger boy sighed.

"I got angry about how casually you acted after Lucius beat you up," Remus muttered, his voice bitter when he said the blonde haired boy's name. "I felt like I cared about your life more than you did."

Sirius nodded, hearing the truth in the young boy's voice. "If I didn't act like being beat never mattered, I'd have been broken long ago," he replied, not realizing exactly how much he was giving away until he heard Remus gasp.

"Sirius... do-"

"Not today," the black haired boy said, cutting him off. "Later. Another time. It's Halloween. I want to be in high spirits for the prank." Remus gave him a skeptical look. "Any other time. I promise. This is my favourite holiday. I don't want to think about anything like that today."

Remus nodded, accepting this answer. "Alright, but you will answer something else then, in exchange." Sirius nodded, waiting for the question. "What was the phrase you kept repeating in the hospital wing when you woke up?"

Sirius felt his face heat up and knew he was turning red. He was ashamed of his knee-jerk reaction upon regaining consciousness. He had hoped Remus would never bring it up. But he had, and Sirius had made a promise. "___Ego sum malus puer qui uerecundiae ad meipsum et familiam nóminis. Oro ueniam et propitiatio et promitto ut facite melius ab hac die donee mea mortem. _I am a bad boy who brings shame to myself and the family name. I beg your pardon and forgiveness and promise to do better from this day until my death. It's the apology Regulus and I had to learn to recite from when we were children. Whenever we get punished, that's the first thing we need to say, or we'll get into deeper trouble."

Remus nodded, wanting to say something on the issue but deciding against it. The words of Sirius' prayer from so long ago resurfaced in his head. I care a lot about him... maybe he would understand? Help Remus figure it all out? He gathered his courage, taking a deep breath. "Sirius, I think – "

The door flew open with a crack to reveal a very red-faced Professor McGonagall. "Mister Lupin. My office." She took in his robe-clad form. "You have two minutes." The door slammed shut behind her as she swooped away, leaving a chill in her wake.

Remus jumped up and grabbed his clothing, running into the bathroom to change. Sirius wondered what the small boy had been about to tell him, but decided against asking him.

"See you in lessons?" Remus asked, pausing to stand next to Sirius before he ran out the door. Sirius knew what the boy was asking. They had been sitting far away from one another for weeks. Remus wanted to know what the plan was.

"I'll save you a seat next to me." Remus beamed at Sirius, relief and gratitude radiating off him like rays off the sun, before turning and charging out the door.


	12. Happy Halloween

**Hey guys! I didn't abandon this fic, nor did I forget about it, or all of you! There were a few personal dramas that kept me from writing anything this month but things have finally settled, so I'm back! I'm going to treat you guys to at least two more chapters this week to make up for my absence! Thanks for the understanding 3**

* * *

"So what happened?" It was the end of the day, and the boys were dressing for the feast, excitement oozing from them.

"I have to serve a Saturday of detention with Binns!" Remus called back to James from the bathroom. It wasn't the first time the other boys had held a conversation with their smallest member through closed doors. Remus was extremely body conscious, to the point where nobody had even seen him with his shirt off despite being at school for two months. "Grading papers for all the students third year and below!"

"What?!" Sirius cried, his head appearing through a hole in his silky black dress robes. "That's got to be almost 400 papers!"

"394, to be exact," Remus replied, stepping out of the bathroom, burgundy dress robes hanging off his skinny frame. "But it's not like I'm doing it alone, Binns will be helping of corse."

"Still," Sirius insisted, looking into the mirror as he slicked his long hair back into a neat ponytail, "that's an awful lot of work."

"He did attack another student, Sirius," Peter said from his corner of the room where he sat on the bed, pale blue dress robes pulling slightly over his stomach. Sirius shot him a glare that caused the round boy to blush and look down.

"Be nice to him," James said sternly, having caught the non-verbal exchange. "It is a lot of work, maybe an unfair amount, but if McGonagall didn't do something extreme to make an example out of him, there'd be fights breaking out left and right. You know that as well as I do."

Remus turned to James with a smile, thanking him for defending Peter. That was usually his job. He stopped, his eyes roaming up and down the messy haired boy. Black stuck up at all ends over brown eyes, covered but not hidden by a pair of glasses slightly too big for his face. Robes of evergreen made the boy's somewhat pale skin look warm and soft. Remus had to stifle a shudder at how attractive his friend was.

He felt the blood drain from his face and he looked away, focusing on tying his lace-less shoes. _James? Attractive? He's my mate. I'm not thinking that. No._

_Well,_ came a little voice that sounded awfully like a certain red head, _it's not wrong to recognize when someone looks good._

_We're both blokes,_ Remus argued with the voice, _that's not normally for us._

_It's only human._

_It is not. It's... it's..._

_Gay?_

"No!" Remus didn't realize he had yelled the word until he heard the ringing silence that followed it. He looked up from his shoes to see three sets of eyes on him. Peter looked slightly scared, James curious, and Sirius worried. Remus swallowed. "Er, sorry mates, talking to myself."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the pale boy, taking in his shifting eyes and the nervous way he chewed on his bottom lip, but decided to confront him about it later. They were already running late for the feast "Might want to talk a bit quieter there, Remus. People will think you've gone batty."

The pun had the desired effect as all four young faces lit up at the subtle reminder of the impending prank. "Hurry up!" James cried, his voice rising dangerously in pitch with excitement. "We gotta get down there for the speech!" The boys jumped and finished their final details and, looking as sharp as a bunch of pre-teen boys possibly could, they flew out of their dormitory, dress robes flaring behind them as they ran. James took the lead at an impressive sprint, Sirius directly behind him, followed by Peter. Remus drew up the rear, hardly jogging, still wrapped up in his thoughts. He kept pace well enough and before they could even think about it, the boys were charging into the Hall. They settled into their seats just in time to hear the tail end of whatever wonderful story Dumbledore had been telling them.

"-so, as it seems, centaurs do indeed love great games of poker. I'm not sure how comfortable they felt playing a muggle game, but I have a lovely gift in my office because of their decision to play. Apparently I'm quite good." He chuckled lightly, the rest of occupants following suit. "That's enough stories for one night. I do believe we're all quite famished."

"This is it!" Sirius hissed through his teeth, eyes shooting upwards. The sky was an inky blue and the moon, starting to wan, looked an eerie yellow behind thick, puffy clouds. The candles were bright orange in celebration and lit up the ceiling like stars would outside. They were cobwebs, enchanted pumpkins, false spiders and all the Hogwarts ghosts had come out to enjoy a night of haunting and holiday. Sirius, however, was focused on the bats. Hundreds of them flew around, landing here and there, looking tiny from where he sat. They were black, brown, gray, the air infested with their screeches and sonic clicks.

"Let the feast-"

"Duck!" James whispered to his friends. The four boys curled in on themselves and slipped below the table. A few curious looks were shot to them but no one had any time to process as Dumbledore uttered his unintentional magic word-

"-begin."

The screams started almost instantly and Sirius watched as legs stretched and moved, their occupants hurrying away from the tables. He rose up from the table and surveyed the scene, trying and failing to keep the smile off his face. The bats that had seconds ago been the size of, well, bats, were now varying in size from full grown horse to fire ant. Students and staff alike were yelling, louder when the bats' sizes would switch seemingly at random. There was laughter from his left. He turned his head to find Frank Longbottom and James, both cracking up. James whispered a word in Frank's ear as he pointed to a grayish bat with a distinct dark brown mask around his eyes. Frank stood up on the table, focused on the bat, and opened his mouth.

"Move it!" The bat stilled and swelled, growing from the size of a baseball to that of a small dog before their very eyes. The older boy began to laugh again, doubling over. His friend, Alice, was pulling on the corner of his dress robes for him to come down from the table before he fell.

Remus emerged after a few more seconds and looked the Hall at the chaos. People were running in all different directions, many colliding head on. They had charmed the doors to lock but he could see some of the professors working at them, casting spells furiously, while the remaining staff and a few of the braver students threw spells and charms and curses at the enchanted bats. Every red beam of _expelliarmus _sent a chill of illicit pleasure down his spine. All he had to do was wait for one to hit...

He didn't need to wait long. A fifth year Ravenclaw girl hit a bat that was the size of a quaffle dead on with the disarming spell. The creature froze, hanging in mid air. The girl's face took on a victorious cast before falling with horror as she watched the creature turn and dive, heading directly for her. She shrieked and jumped, running into the crowd, but the bat would not be deterred. Remus had altered the charm so that any bat hit with the popular disarming spell would instead become focused on the person who cast the spell, chasing them around until the engorgement charm on it was broken. He heard himself laughing, echoed by many other voices who had caught on to the nature of the prank. Students began yelling out any word they could think of, scanning the bats for signs of growth or shrinkage. It didn't take long for the professors to understand what the students had discovered, and they began casting silencing spells over the Hall, hoping it would stop the madness.

"This is the perfect time, mate," Remus heard James whisper to Sirius. There was a sound of agreement from the other dark haired boy and Remus turned, watching as two of his best friends stood up onto the table, pride obvious in their glowing faces and puffed up chests. James gestured for Peter to get up next to them, and he quickly obliged. Remus tried to duck back under the table but not before a hand wrapped around his collar and yanked him up. He turned to see Sirius beside him, his smile wide.

"This was your idea, after all," he muttered. Remus, who had opened his mouth to yell, closed it tightly. The aristocrat was right. He looked back up at the skies, watching the chaos, and felt his smile take form again. It really _was_ a marvelous prank.

"Ladies, gentlemen, trolls and unicorns, we hope you have enjoyed this magical display!" James cried, his small voice carrying spectacularly over the crowds. "This has been but the first of many pranks, brought to you by..." He paused dramatically, his eyes casting around to the other three boys as their faces broke into identical grins. As one, they took in a great breath.

"The Marauders!" At the chorus of their voices, every bat in the hall expanded to the size of a small elephant and the doors flew open, allowing the occupants to escape the cramping Hall. Remus smiled to himself, glad he had thought to put a spell on the doorway that would trap the bats inside. The boys jumped off the table and ran out, losing themselves in the crowd.

* * *

"_What _were you boys _thinking_?!" Professor McGonagall shouted at them. It was almost an hour later and the last of the bats were being shrunk down to size. James, in a rather crude stroke of genius, had cast the engorgement charm triggered by their titular declaration so that the bets only shrunk to size if the word "fuck" was yelled at them. It was rather amusing to watch the professors walking around screaming the profanity, cages in hand. The food from the feast had been ruined but replacement meals had been sent to each common room, piping hot and just as delicious.

Not that any of the Marauders knew that. They had been cornered by McGonagall and Dumbledore only minutes after escaping the Hall and held hostage until the last of the students were safe in their common rooms.

"We thought it would be funny, Professor," James mumbled, sounding sincerely guilty for his actions. Remus didn't believe it one bit.

"Yeah, it was only supposed to be a prank," Sirius supplied, sounding equally abashed. Remus believed _that_ even less.

"Well it wasn't! It was chaos! Madness! You ruined the feast for everyone, students are traumatized, and so help me, if those bats were harmed-"

"We'd never harm animals!" Remus roared, his voice ferocious and verging on a growl. McGonagall turned her steady eyes to him, her gaze boring into his very existence. He kept his eyes firmly on hers, daring her to challenge his statement. She knew what he was. She knew he would never harm any creatures.

"No," she conceded, voice still angry but admitting to her faulty accusations. "I suppose you wouldn't let them even if they wanted to. Isn't that right, Mister Lupin?" Remus nodded, his face completely composed. Even as a child he had loved animals. Becoming one had only deepened his love and driven him to fight for their protection and equal treatment in the world, both magical and muggle. "You boys will be serving a month of detention. And 30 points from Gryffindor." Her eye twitched. "Each." Remus felt his face pale. Peter gasped. James actually did growl. Sirius stayed silent, his expression brooding and dark. "You may leave." They rose and exited the hall quietly, accepting their punishment without fight.

"It really was a good prank," James muttered. The others nodded as they began their shameful walk back to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

The sky outside was pitch black, the moon now hidden entirely behind clouds. There would probably be a storm the next day.

Sirius sighed as he sat cross legged on his bed, the curtains drawn around him. He could hear the snoring of the other boys. Peter's was a slight wheezing sound. James', a nasally clatter. Remus didn't always snore but when he did, it sounded like a growl, deep and in the base of his throat. It made Sirius shiver every time he heard it. It triggered an oddly primal fear in him that he ignored. It was foolish to be scared of tiny Remus. The boy would never hurt a fly. Literally, they discovered tonight. His anger at McGonagall's insinuation that they had hurt the bats was mystifying. Rage like that was uncommon for the boy, so to see it twice in one day, both times directed at someone much larger in both stature and status was mind boggling.

Sirius was so wrapped up in his thoughts, pulling at a loose thread on his pajama bottoms, that he almost didn't hear the noise. It was soft, a dull hissing that came in short bursts. The black haired boy jumped upon hearing it, his heart picking up the pace. He checked his watch, still wrapped tightly around his wrist. Just after eleven pm. The sound stopped, and Sirius drew in a deep breath, trying to calm his racing pulse. Then it came again, followed by a new sound.

"Sirius!"

Sirius stopped panicking and smiled, realizing what the noise was. Peaking out of the curtains, he checked to make sure his dorm mates were asleep before climbing out of his bed to face the mirror hung on his wall. There he saw the face of a young Black. But instead of gray eyes, they were deep blue. Shoulder length hair was replaced by a neat, close trim. The smiles, however, were identical.

"Regulus!" Sirius gasped out, wishing he could hug his brother through the mirror. "I was wondering when I'd hear from you."

"It took me forever to find the proper spell to make these things works. You left the mirror but not the instructions, you arse." Sirius' younger brother teased him, the miles of distance between them suddenly meaningless.

"I thought you'd know it, we learned it years ago," the older boy answered, pulling the mirror off the wall and sliding back into his bed quietly. He cast a quick silencing spell on his bed, ensuring the conversation with his little brother would be private.

"I forgot it." Regulus' face took on a soft pink tinge as he blushed in embarrassment. He was plenty smart, but had never been as clever as Sirius. He always felt ashamed at his inability to keep up with his brother.

"Ah, not a worry, Reggie," Sirius reassured him with a smile, the desire for a hug overwhelming him again. "Boy have I got loads to tell you."

"I, too! But first, check your trunk." Sirius quirked an eyebrow up. "Just do it." He nodded and placed the mirror down, sneaking back out of his bed and kneeling at the foot to open his trunk. There, next to his stuffed wolf, was a beautiful pair of bright crimson leather gloves. He felt his jaw drop as he picked them up. Crawling back into his bed, he pulled them on. They fit him perfectly.

"Happy Birthday, big brother."


End file.
